Question

I have the following code inside a C++ class:

class Features
{
    #define Feature_Size_A 12345
    #define Feature_Size_B 45678
    #define Feature_Size_C 78901
    //#define Feature_Size_D 14725

    const int Feature_Sum = 0
    #ifdef Feature_Size_A
        + Feature_Size_A
    #endif
    #ifdef Feature_Size_B
        + Feature_Size_B
    #endif
    #ifdef Feature_Size_C
        + Feature_Size_C
    #endif
    #ifdef Feature_Size_D
        + Feature_Size_D
    #endif
        ;

    #ifdef Feature_Size_A
        static float Feature_A[Feature_Size_A];
    #endif
    #ifdef Feature_Size_B
        static float Feature_B[Feature_Size_B];
    #endif
    #ifdef Feature_Size_C
        static float Feature_C[Feature_Size_C];
    #endif
    #ifdef Feature_Size_D
        static float Feature_D[Feature_Size_D];
    #endif
};

I used to comment out features, like line 4, to compile and run different tests. But now I’d like to have the class as a template, so I can instantiate several versions with different features turned on or off in the same program.

I’m thinking of something like this:

template <bool Feature_A, bool Feature_B, bool Feature_C, bool Feature_D>
class Features
{
    ...
};

Features<true, true, true, false> f;

I tried with boost::mpl:vector’s but I’m struggling harshly.

BTW: This is not the complete code. The original code has 25 features.

I’m thankful for every idea not involving macros 🙂

Answer 1

Type lists can be used to solve this problem.

template<unsigned num, unsigned size, typename T>
class Feature : public T
{
public:
    static float feature[size];
    static const unsigned int feature_sum = size + T::feature_sum;
};
template<unsigned num, unsigned size, typename T>
float Feature<num, size, T>::feature[size];
class Tail { 
public:
    static const unsigned feature_sum = 0; 
};

template<unsigned num, unsigned size, typename T>
float* get_feature_arr(Feature<num, size, T>& ref) 
{
    return ref.feature;
}

int main() {
    Feature<1, 12345, Feature<2, 45678, Feature<4, 78901, Tail>>> TripleFeatures;
    auto first = get_feature_arr<1>(TripleFeatures);
    auto third = get_feature_arr<4>(TripleFeatures);
    auto size = TripleFeatures.feature_sum;
}

This can also be used to access any feature, regardless of what other features are or aren’t in the list.

Edit: I nubbed up some of the details, like not defining the array and trying to have “3features” as an identifier. Le fixed. Code compiles GCC 4.7.1.