In C, static_cast and dynamic_cast are two commonly used type conversion operators that are suitable for different scenarios and are significantly different. 1. Static_cast performs type conversion at compile time, suitable for conversion between basic data type conversion, upward transformation, enumeration to integer transformation, and classes with conversion constructors or type conversion operators; it does not perform runtime checks and is therefore not safe for downward transformation. 2. Dynamic_cast performs type checking at runtime, mainly used for downward transformation of polymorphic types, ensuring that the conversion is legal, and returning a null pointer or throwing an exception when it fails; it is suitable for scenarios where dynamic type checking is required, but the performance overhead is high. When selecting, which operator should be used based on the security of the conversion and whether the runtime check is required.
In C, type casting is the process of converting one data type to another. It is often used to deal with scenarios such as inheritance relationships, pointers and reference conversions. C provides a variety of type conversion operators, among which static_cast
and dynamic_cast
are the two most commonly used.

static_cast: Compile-determined type conversion
static_cast
is a relatively common type conversion operator that works for most "reasonable" type conversions, such as conversions of basic data types, pointer or reference conversions between classes with explicit inheritance relationships (especially upward transformations), and some user-defined types conversions.
How to use:

double d = 3.14; int i = static_cast<int>(d); // Basic type conversion
Applicable scenarios:
- Convert floating point numbers into integers (will cut off)
- Upcasting: convert derived class pointers/references into base class
- Enumeration to integer conversion
- Convert between classes using conversion constructor or type conversion operator
Notice:
It does not perform runtime checks. If you use it for downcasting and the actual object is not the target type, then the behavior is undefined. In this case, dynamic_cast
should be used.

dynamic_cast: Safe conversion for runtime check
dynamic_cast
is mainly used to deal with conversions between polymorphic types, especially downward transformation. It checks whether the conversion is legal at runtime, and returns a null pointer (for pointers) or throws an exception (for references) if it fails.
How to use:
Base* basePtr = new Derived(); Derived* derivedPtr = dynamic_cast<Derived*>(basePtr); if (derivedPtr) { // Conversion is successful} else { // basePtr actually points to the Base type and cannot be converted to Derived safely }
Applicable scenarios:
- Safely transform downward (must involve virtual functions, that is, polymorphic classes)
- Check the actual type of pointer or reference
- Type conversion in multiple inheritance
Performance issues:
Since dynamic_cast
requires type checking at runtime, it is slower than static_cast
. Use it only if it does require dynamic type checking.
How to choose static_cast or dynamic_cast?
These two casts are not interchangeable at will, they apply differently:
- If you know that conversion is necessarily safe, such as upward transformation, or conversion between basic types, use
static_cast
- If you are not sure about the specific type and want to transform downward, and the target class contains virtual functions, use
dynamic_cast
- If the possibility of a conversion failure exists and you want the program to detect it, choose
dynamic_cast
- Don't use
static_cast
to do unsafe downward transitions, which can lead to crashes or undefined behavior
Basically that's it. Understanding the differences and application scenarios between these two casts can help you handle type conversion more safely and efficiently when writing C programs.
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