In C, dynamic behavior at runtime is achieved using structures combined with function pointers. This allows for a rudimentary form of polymorphism, where different implementations can be invoked depending on the object context. This mechanism is often used to simulate features commonly found in object-oriented languages.

  • Structures act as containers for both data and function references
  • Function pointers enable method overriding behavior
  • Code becomes more flexible and extensible

Note: C does not support virtual functions natively, but similar behavior can be emulated using disciplined design with function pointers and structs.

To implement this pattern, define a structure containing pointers to functions representing operations. Each derived "type" can provide its own set of function implementations, mimicking inheritance and method overriding.

  1. Define a base structure with function pointer members
  2. Create specific instances with customized functions
  3. Call functions via the base pointer for dynamic resolution
Concept C Implementation
Inheritance Struct embedding
Method overriding Function pointer assignment
Virtual dispatch Calling through function pointer