Geometry Boost List: [geometry] relate() interface

Subject: [geometry] relate() interface
From: Adam Wulkiewicz (adam.wulkiewicz_at_[hidden])
Date: 2015-04-27 19:47:16

Hi,

Recently a user requested to add a user-defined spatial predicate:
https://svn.boost.org/trac/boost/ticket/11232
relate() is there in the details from quite some time so I thought it's a
good time to make it official. But before that we should think about the
interface.

First, the requirements. I think it should be possible to:
- return a DE9IM matrix
- check DE9IM run-time mask
- check DE9IM compile-time mask
- pass ORed masks and use them directly in the check
- possible addition of other IMs though I doubt that anything else than
DE9IM will be supported

FYI, all of the above is supported in the details. But the interface need
to be polished. I'm thinking about something like this:

// basic, return DE9IM matrix
std::string matrix = relate(g1, g2);

// basic, check DE9IM run-time mask
bool res = relate(g1, g2, "T********");

We need a way to pass ORed masks. We have a few options but I'm thinking
about this:

bool res = relate(g1, g2, de9im::mask("FT*******") ||
                          de9im::mask("F**T*****") ||
                          de9im::mask("F***T****"));

Compile-time masks:

typedef de9im::static_mask<'T','*','*','*','*','*','*','*','*'> II;
bool res = relate<II>(g1, g2);

or just

bool res = relate(g1, g2, II());

In the second case the same technique for ORing masks could be used.
Otherwise we'd be forced to gather them in some type like, de9im::or<M1,
M2, M3, M4, ...>, mpl::vector<> or boost::tuple<>. Either way the compiler
should be able to optimize I think. Besides it's implemented like this
anyway in the details. The third parameter is just created by default using
the default ctor. This of course can be changed. So again, we have two
options:

typedef de9im::static_mask<'T','*','*','*','*','*','*','*','*'> II;
typedef de9im::static_mask<'*','*','*','*','T','*','*','*','*'> BB;
bool res = relate<de9im::or<II, BB>>(g1, g2);

or

de9im::static_mask<'T','*','*','*','*','*','*','*','*'> ii;
de9im::static_mask<'*','*','*','*','T','*','*','*','*'> bb;

bool res = relate(g1, g2, ii || bb);

What do you think?
Do you like the names?
Any ideas are welcome.

E.g. maybe the names should be:
- de9im::dynamic_mask and de9im::mask (instead of static_mask)
- de9im::dmask and de9im::smask
- de9im::mask_d and de9im::mask_s
- ?

Regards,
Adam