Question

I’m racking my brain trying to find out how to write cross platform classes while avoiding the cost of virtual functions and any kind of ugliness in the platform specific versions of classes. Here is what I have tried.

PlatformIndependantClass.hpp

class PlatformIndependantClass {
    public:
        PlatformIndependantClass();
        std::string GetPlatformName();
    private:
        PlatformIndependantClass* mImplementation;

};

LinuxClass.hpp

#include "PlatformIndependantClass.hpp"
class LinuxClass : public PlatformIndependantClass{
    public:
        std::string GetPlatformName();
};

WindowsClass.hpp

#include "PlatformIndependantClass.hpp"
class WindowsClass : public PlatformIndependantClass {
    public:
        std::string GetPlatformName();
};

PlatformIndependantClass.cpp

#include "PlatformIndependantClass.hpp"
#include "LinuxClass.hpp"
#include "WindowsClass.hpp"
PlatformIndependantClass::PlatformIndependantClass() {
    #ifdef TARGET_LINUX
        mImplementation = new LinuxClass();
    #endif
    #ifdef TARGET_WINDOWS
        mImplementation = new WindowsClass();
    #endif
}
std::string PlatformIndependantClass::GetPlatformName() {
    return mImplementation->GetPlatformName();
}

LinuxClass.cpp

#include "LinuxClass.hpp"
std::string LinuxClass::GetPlatformName() {
    return std::string("This was compiled on linux!");
}

WindowsClass.cpp

#include "WindowsClass.hpp"
std::string WindowsClass::GetPlatformName() {
    return std::string("This was compiled on windows!");
}

main.cpp

#include <iostream>
#include "PlatformIndependantClass.hpp"

using namespace std;

int main()
{
    PlatformIndependantClass* cl = new PlatformIndependantClass();
    cout << "Hello world!" << endl;
    cout << "Operating system name is: " << cl->GetPlatformName() << endl;
    cout << "Bye!" << endl;
    return 0;
}

Now, this compiles fine but I get a segmentation fault. I believe this is because the platform specific classes inherit from PlatformIndependantClass, which on construction, creates an instance of the platform specific class, so I get infinite recursion. Every time I try, I just get extremely confused!

How can I achieve a design like this properly? Or is this just a horrible idea. I have been trying to find out how to write cross platform classes but I just get a load of results about cross platform libraries, any help will be gratefully accepted 🙂

Answer 1

I think what you are trying to accomplish can be accomplished much easier…

Object.h:

#include <normal includes>

#if WINDOWS
#include <windows includes>
#endif

#if LINUX
#include <linux includes>
#endif

class Object
{
private:

#if WINDOWS
//Windows Specific Fields...
#endif

#if LINUX
//Linux Specific Fields...
#endif

public:
    //Function that performs platform specific functionality
    void DoPlatformSpecificStuff();

    //Nothing platform specific here
    void DoStuff();      
};

Object.cpp

#include "Object.h"

void Object::DoStuff() { ... }

ObjectWin32.cpp

#if WINDOWS

#include "Object.h"

void Object::DoPlatformSpecificStuff() 
{ 
    //Windows specific stuff... 
}

#endif

ObjectLinux.cpp

#if LINUX

#include "Object.h"

void Object::DoPlatformSpecificStuff() 
{ 
    //Linux specific stuff... 
}

#endif

And so on. I think this could accomplish what you are trying in a bit easier fashion. Also, no virtual functions needed.