What happens in the hardware when I call a virtual function? How many layers of indirection are there? How much overhead is there?, C++ FAQ

C++ FAQ

From Marshall Cline: Bjarne Stroustrup, Herb Sutter, Andrei Alexandrescu, Pearson / Addison-Wesley Publishers and I collaborated to create a new C++ Super-FAQ! It's a team effort, with huge contributions from each of us and with amazing support from dozens of brilliant editors. The result is "awesomer" than ever! I originally wrote/published the FAQ in 1991 and now look forward to this new phase - and to continue working with it for another 20 years!

On a personal note, I'm at Oculus VR and it is amazing - fabulous people doing fabulous work. We're hiring more fabulous people so write me if that's you!

FAQ: What happens in the hardware when I call a virtual function? How many layers of indirection are there? How much overhead is there? ←(in the new Super-FAQ)

It's in Section: Inheritance — virtual functions:

FAQ: What is a "virtual member function"?
FAQ: How can C++ achieve dynamic binding yet also static typing?
FAQ: Difference between calling virtual and non-virtual member functions?
FAQ: Implementation details and efficiency of calling a virtual function? (this FAQ)
FAQ: How can a member function in my derived class call the same function from its base class?
FAQ: Using dynamic binding with objects in heterogeneous containers?
FAQ: When should my destructor be virtual?
FAQ: What is a "virtual constructor"?