Re: [boost] Re: Object Factory

From: David Abrahams (dave_at_[hidden])
Date: 2002-11-19 21:51:04

Anthony Liguori <anthony_at_[hidden]> writes:

> One thing has always bothered me about Loki's class factories
> (namely, one paragraph in Modern C++ Design).  The fact that virtual
> constructions aren't considered possible in C++.  Specifically, in
> chapter 8.2 where Andrei gives an example of code that doesn't work
> in C++:
>
> // Warning-this is NOT C++
> // Assumes Class is a class that's also an object
>
> Class Read(const char *filename);
> Document *DocumentManager::OpenDocument(const char *filename)
> {
>     Class theClass = Read(filename);
>     Document *pDoc = new theClass;
> }
>
> So I wrote up a class that provided virtual constructor
> functionality. It actually allows for types to be treated as objects
> including storing types in any STL container.  This allows for
> really advanced factory algorithms and all sorts of fun stuff.

Oh, neat!

> The basic usage is as follows:
>
> struct A
> {
>     A(int a);
> };
>
> struct B : public A
> {
>     B(int a);
> };
>
> typedef factory<A, int> FactoryA;

Now can we rename "factory" to "metaclass"? I just want to see smoke
come out of peoples' ears!

> FactoryA b = FactoryA::create<B>();
> FactoryA c;
>
> A *a = b(10); // Returns new B(10)
> c = b;
> delete a;
> a = c(15); // Returns new B(10)

I sure hope that's new B(15).

> The other interesting characteristic is that factories are
> compatiable with functions so bind functions can be used.

Of course!

> If a subclass has additional constructor parameters that had
> reasonable defaults, those parameters could be bind'ed which is
> something that no other factory implementation is capable of.

Very cool indeed!

> I haven't submitted yet because it hasn't been updated to the new
> function class and the documentation isn't finished but since the
> topic came up, I thought I'd see what people thought.
>
> Here's the site:
> http://clam.rutgers.edu/~aliguori/factories/

Well, I'm excited.

-- 
                       David Abrahams
   dave_at_[hidden] * http://www.boost-consulting.com
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