Dynamic cast fail issue - system-verilog

Question

class base;
int a = 15;
endclass
class extended extends base;
int b = 2;
endclass
module top;
initial begin
base base;
extended extend;
extend = new();
base = new();
$cast(extend, base);
$display(extend.a);
end
endmodule
I'm trying to undersatnd $cast method in systemverilog as the above code, But I've got error messages.
ncsim> source /incisiv/15.20/tools/inca/files/ncsimrc
ncsim> run
$cast(extend, base);
|
ncsim: *E,BCLCST (./testbench.sv,18|8): Invalid cast: a value with the class datatype '$unit_0x4ccdf83b::base' cannot be assigned to a class variable with the datatype '$unit_0x4ccdf83b::extended'.
15
ncsim: *W,RNQUIE: Simulation is complete.
ncsim> exit
Exit code expected: 0, received: 1
Why does it make a error?
update 2
I've got some more test code for understanding the $cast().
test code.1
class base;
int a = 15;
endclass
class extended extends base;
int b = 2;
endclass
module top;
initial begin
base b;
extended e;
e = new();
b = new();
$cast(b, e);
//b=e;
$display(e.a);
end
endmodule
test code 2
class base;
int a = 15;
endclass
class extended extends base;
int b = 2;
endclass
module top;
initial begin
base b;
extended e;
e = new();
b = new();
//$cast(b, e);
b=e;
$display(e.a);
end
endmodule
When I compiled the both test code.1 and test code.2, the result the same.
So I'm confused that why do we use '$cast()' methods?

Answer 1

Your $cast is failing correctly as specified by the LRM. You have constructed a base class type object and stored its handle in a base class variable. (BTW, a bad idea to use the same name for both as you have now hidden the base type name). Now you are trying to assign the base handle to class variable of class type extend. $cast fails because the object your are tying to assign a handle to extended never constructed an extend object. Had the cast been allowed to succeed, the original handle in extended would have been replaced with a handle to a base object, and the reference to extend.b would be fatal since that variable does not exist.
The purpose of $cast is when you have handle stored in a base class variable, and that handle refers to an extended class object. The $cast allows you to move that handle to an extended class variable by checking the object it refers to first before making the assignment.
Please see my seminar on SystemVerilog OOP as well as short post on class terminology.

Answer 2

I suggest the following example for studying. the last 'printer()' statement will fail because you cannot cast non descendant of ext to 'ext' int he function
class base;
local string a;
function new();
a = "I am a";
endfunction
function print();
$display(a);
endfunction
endclass
class ext extends base;
local string b;
function new();
b = "i am b";
endfunction
function print();
$display(b);
endfunction
endclass
function printer(base p);
ext e;
$cast(e, p);
e.print();
p.print();
endfunction
program P;
base b = new();
ext e = new();
initial begin
printer(e);
printer(b); // << this will fail
end
endprogram