COIN-OR::LEMON - Graph Library

source: lemon-0.x/doc/maps1.dox @ 2470:46818ce27a60

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1/* -*- C++ -*-
2 *
3 * This file is a part of LEMON, a generic C++ optimization library
4 *
5 * Copyright (C) 2003-2007
6 * Egervary Jeno Kombinatorikus Optimalizalasi Kutatocsoport
7 * (Egervary Research Group on Combinatorial Optimization, EGRES).
8 *
9 * Permission to use, modify and distribute this software is granted
10 * provided that this copyright notice appears in all copies. For
11 * precise terms see the accompanying LICENSE file.
12 *
13 * This software is provided "AS IS" with no warranty of any kind,
14 * express or implied, and with no claim as to its suitability for any
15 * purpose.
16 *
17 */
18
19/**
20\page maps1 Maps I.
21
22In the previous section we discussed graph topology. That is the skeleton a complex
23graph represented data-set needs. But how to assign the data itself to that skeleton?<br>
24Here come the \b maps in.
25
26\section maps_intro Introduction to maps
27Maps play a central role in LEMON. As their name suggests, they map a certain range of <i>keys</i> to certain <i>values</i>.
28In LEMON there is many types of maps. Each map has two typedef's to determine the types of keys and values, like this:
29\code
30  typedef Edge Key;
31  typedef double Value;
32\endcode
33(Except matrix maps, they have two key types.)
34
35To make easy to use them - especially as template parameters - there are <i>map concepts</i> like by graph classes.
36<ul>
37<li>\ref ReadMap - values can be read out with the \c operator[].
38\code value_typed_variable = map_instance[key_value]; \endcode
39</li>
40<li>\ref WriteMap - values can be set with the \c set() member function.
41\code map_instance.set(key_value, value_typed_expression); \endcode
42</li>
43<li>\ref ReadWriteMap - it's just a shortcut to indicate that the map is both
44readable and writable. It is delivered from them.
45</li>
46<li>\ref ReferenceMap - a subclass of ReadWriteMap. It has two additional typedefs
47<i>Reference</i> and <i>ConstReference</i> and two overloads of \c operator[] to
48providing you constant or non-constant reference to the value belonging to a key,
49so you have a direct access to the memory address where it is stored.
50</li>
51<li>And there are the Matrix version of these maps, where the values are assigned to a pair of keys.
52The keys can be different types. (\ref ReadMatrixMap, \ref WriteMatrixMap, \ref ReadWriteMatrixMap, \ref ReferenceMatrixMap)
53</li>
54</ul>
55
56\section maps_graph Graphs' maps
57Every \ref MappableGraphComponent "mappable" graph class has two public templates: NodeMap<VALUE> and EdgeMap<VALUE>
58satisfying the \ref GraphMap concept.
59If you want to assign data to nodes, just declare a NodeMap with the corresponding
60type. As an example, think of a edge-weighted directed graph.
61\code ListGraph::EdgeMap<int>  weight(graph); \endcode
62You can see that the map needs the graph whose edges will mapped, but nothing more.
63
64If the graph class is extendable or erasable the map will automatically follow
65the changes you make. If a new node is added a default value is mapped to it.
66You can define the default value by passing a second argument to the map's constructor.
67\code ListGraph::EdgeMap<int>  weight(graph, 13); \endcode
68But keep in mind that \c VALUE has to have copy constructor.
69
70Of course \c VALUE can be a rather complex type.
71
72For practice let's see the following template function (from \ref maps_summary "maps-summary.cc" in the \ref demo directory)!
73\dontinclude maps_summary.cc
74\skip template
75\until }
76The task is simple. We need the summary of some kind of data assigned to a graph's nodes.
77(Whit a little trick the summary can be calculated only to a sub-graph without changing
78this code. See \ref SubGraph techniques - that's LEMON's true potential.)
79
80And the usage is simpler than the declaration suggests. The compiler deduces the
81template specialization, so the usage is like a simple function call.
82\skip std
83\until ;
84
85Most of the time you will probably use graph maps, but keep in mind, that in LEMON maps are more general and can be used widely.
86
87If you want some 'real-life' examples see the next page, where we discuss \ref algorithms
88(coming soon) and will use maps hardly.
89Or if you want to know more about maps read these \ref maps2 "advanced map techniques".
90*/
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