Question

I have a complex code base at work, and i created a small example to mimic the problem and here is the below code.

< Code below for reference> – This code is compilable if we have boost libraries and FastDelegate.h linked with the project. Please let me know if you need the full compilable example project, i can email you.

I have two problems and need help resolving them.

1. As seen below in the code, i have a class with argument type as template for another classes object. Now when i initialize the class below in UserClass’s constructor (Line 107) i get error because mBaseAcceptor is a class with template argument of type base Class, but i need to do mbaseAcceptor(new derivedAcceptor_t). Casting problem how to fix this?

Error here is

./boost/smart_ptr/shared_ptr.hpp:387:9: error: comparison between distinct pointer types ‘Acceptor<DerivedClass>*’ and ‘Acceptor<BaseClass>*’ lacks a cast

1. Another problem is in line 108, even if i magically say resolve this by using another acceptor of derived class, this is where i use that mDerivedAcceptor, in Line 108 i do

   mDerivedAcceptor->SetDelegate(fastdelegate::MakeDelegate(this, &UserClass::HandleDelegate)); 
   

then i get error saying

"error no matching function call for HandleDelegate(DerivedClass&, bool). 

This make sense because HandleDelegate has argument of type BaseClass and by storing a delegate(which is a func. ptr) we have to call the function with appropriate argument. But how to fix this.

1. If i cast Handler inside Acceptor class with derived class will it work when i only pass the baseClass pointer?

Code

/*
 * smart_pointer_1.cpp
 *
 *  Created on: Jul 26, 2011
 *      Author: balaji
 */
#include <algorithm>
#include <boost/foreach.hpp>
#include <boost/scoped_ptr.hpp>
#include <boost/shared_ptr.hpp>
#include "FastDelegate.h"
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

template <class Handler>

class Acceptor {

public:
    typedef fastdelegate::FastDelegate1<Handler &, bool> delegate_t;
    Acceptor ();
    void Initialize(Handler *&handle);
    void SetDelegate(delegate_t delegate) { mDelegate = delegate; }

private:
   int mValues[2];
    delegate_t mDelegate;
};

template <class Handler>
Acceptor<Handler>::Acceptor()
{
    std::cout << "In Constructor: " << __FUNCTION__ << std::endl;
    mValues[0] = 1;
    mValues[1] = 2;

}   

template <class Handler>
void Acceptor<Handler>::Initialize(Handler *&handle){
    if (!handle) {
        std::cout << __FUNCTION__ << " : created" << std::endl;
        handle = new Handler();
    } else {
        std::cout << __FUNCTION__ << " : Error exception" << std::endl;
    }
    if (mDelegate && mDelegate(*handle)) {
        std::cout << "Ok Called Handle in " << __FUNCTION__ << std::endl;
    } else {
        std::cout << "Not Called Handle in " << __FUNCTION__ << std::endl;
    }

   handle->displayComputer();
}

class BaseClass {
    std::string mComputer;
public:
    BaseClass() {
    std::cout << "In Base Constructor: " << __FUNCTION__ << std::endl;
    mComputer = "Mac";
    }
    virtual void displayComputer() {
    std::cout << "Computer type is " << mComputer << std::endl;
    }
};

class DerivedClass : public BaseClass {
    std::string mLanguage;
public:
    DerivedClass() {
    std::cout << "In Derived Constructor: " << __FUNCTION__ << std::endl;
    mLanguage = "C++";
    }
    void displayComputer() {
    std::cout << "Language is " << mLanguage << std::endl;
    }
};

class UserClass {
public:
    UserClass();
    UserClass(bool);
    typedef Acceptor<BaseClass> baseAcceptor_t;
    typedef Acceptor<DerivedClass> derivedAcceptor_t;
    typedef boost::shared_ptr<BaseClass> basePtr_t;
    void CallDelegate(BaseClass&);

private:
    boost::shared_ptr<baseAcceptor_t> mBaseAcceptor;
    boost::shared_ptr<derivedAcceptor_t> mDerivedAcceptor;
    BaseClass *mConnBasePtr;

    bool HandleDelegate(BaseClass& baseDelegate);
};

UserClass::UserClass() : mBaseAcceptor(new baseAcceptor_t)
{
    std::cout << "In Constructor: " << __FUNCTION__ << std::endl;
    mBaseAcceptor->SetDelegate(fastdelegate::MakeDelegate(this, &UserClass::HandleDelegate));
    mBaseAcceptor->Initialize(mConnBasePtr);
}

UserClass::UserClass(bool value)
{
    std::cout << "In Constructor: " << __FUNCTION__ << std::endl;
    mBaseAcceptor.reset(new derivedAcceptor_t);         //    <<========== Problem Here because of improper casting
    mBaseAcceptor->SetDelegate(fastdelegate::MakeDelegate(this, &UserClass::HandleDelegate));   //   <<=== Also here because of improper type passed to MakeDelegate function ptr. Please note HandleDelegate has an argument of type BaseClass, but Acceptor is derived class
    mBaseAcceptor->Initialize(mConnBasePtr);
}


bool UserClass::HandleDelegate(BaseClass& baseDelegate)
{
    std::cout << "In " << __FUNCTION__ << std::endl;
    return true;
}


int main() {
    std::cout << "In function: " << __FUNCTION__ << std::endl;
    typedef boost::shared_ptr<UserClass> userPtr_t;

    userPtr_t user(new UserClass(true));

    std::cout << "In function: " << __FUNCTION__ << " at end "<< std::endl;
    return 0;
}

Answer 1

Define base class for the Acceptor template and another class that will be base to all Handler types. So your implementation will change to:

class IHandler {
};  

class IAcceptor {
public:
    virtual void Initialize(IHandler *) = 0;
    virtual void SetDelegate(delegate_t delegate) = 0;
};

Your Acceptor template will change to:

template <class Handler>
class Acceptor : public IAcceptor {
public:
    typedef fastdelegate::FastDelegate1<Handler &, bool> delegate_t;
    Acceptor ();
    void Initialize(IHandler *pVal);
    void SetDelegate(delegate_t delegate) { mDelegate = delegate; }
private:
   int mValues[2];
    delegate_t mDelegate;
};

Your implementation for Initialize will change (Make sure you handle the dynamic_cast result correctly):

template <class Handler>
void Acceptor<Handler>::Initialize(IHandler *pVal){
    Handler *pHandle = dynamic_cast<Handler>(pVal); //You will have to ofcourse ttake appropriate action if this cast fails.
    if (!handle) {
    std::cout << __FUNCTION__ << " : created" << std::endl;
    handle = new Handler();
    } else {
    std::cout << __FUNCTION__ << " : Error exception" << std::endl;
    }
    if (mDelegate && mDelegate(*handle)) {
    std::cout << "Ok Called Handle in " << __FUNCTION__ << std::endl;
    } else {
    std::cout << "Not Called Handle in " << __FUNCTION__ << std::endl;
    }

   handle->displayComputer();
}

Finally all classes that have to be used with the Acceptor will have to be derived from IHandler.

Now you can change your pointer declaration to shared_ptr< IAcceptor >.

EDIT:

Based on your comment for the second issue, I would pass the Handler object as a pointer instead of a reference and modify the UserClass::HandleDelegate method to accept a pointer to the BaseClass (or the IHandler class if you want to be even more generic.).