Pure virtual destructor in C++

Can a destructor be pure virtual in C++?
Yes, it is possible to have pure virtual destructor. Pure virtual destructor are legal in standard C++ and one of the most important thing is that if class contains pure virtual destructor it is must to provide a function body for the pure virtual destructor. This seems strange that how a virtual function is pure if it requires a function body? But destructors are always called in the reverse order of the class derivation. That means derived class destructor will be invoked first & then base class destructor will be called. If definition for the pure virtual destructor is not provided then what function body will be called during object destruction? Therefore compiler & linker enforce existence of function body for pure virtual destructor.
Consider following program:

#include <iostream> 
class Base 
{ 
public: 
    virtual ~Base()=0; // Pure virtual destructor 
}; 
  
class Derived : public Base 
{ 
public: 
    ~Derived() 
    { 
        std::cout << "~Derived() is executed"; 
    } 
}; 
  
int main() 
{ 
    Base *b=new Derived(); 
    delete b; 
    return 0; 
}

The linker will produce following error in the above program.

test.cpp:(.text$_ZN7DerivedD1Ev[__ZN7DerivedD1Ev]+0x4c): 
undefined reference to `Base::~Base()'

Now if the definition for the pure virtual destructor is provided then the program compiles & runs fine.

#include <iostream> 
class Base 
{ 
public: 
    virtual ~Base()=0; // Pure virtual destructor 
}; 
Base::~Base() 
{ 
    std::cout << "Pure virtual destructor is called"; 
} 
  
class Derived : public Base 
{ 
public: 
    ~Derived() 
    { 
        std::cout << "~Derived() is executed
"; 
    } 
}; 
  
int main() 
{ 
    Base *b = new Derived(); 
    delete b; 
    return 0; 
}

Output:

~Derived() is executed
Pure virtual destructor is called

It is important to note that class becomes abstract class when it contains pure virtual destructor. For example try to compile the below program.

#include <iostream> 
class Test 
{ 
public: 
    virtual ~Test()=0; // Test now becomes abstract class 
}; 
Test::~Test() { } 
  
int main() 
{ 
    Test p; 
    Test* t1 = new Test; 
    return 0; 
}

The above program fails in compilation & shows following error messages.
[Error] cannot declare variable ‘p’ to be of abstract type ‘Test’
[Note] because the following virtual functions are pure within ‘Test’:
[Note] virtual Test::~Test()
[Error] cannot allocate an object of abstract type ‘Test’
[Note] since type ‘Test’ has pure virtual functions

Related Articles :
Constructors in C++
Destructors in C++
Virtual Destructor

Sources:
http://www.bogotobogo.com/cplusplus/virtualfunctions.php
http://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg21/docs/papers/2005/n1905.pdf

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