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C++ makes it possible to use default parameter values when calling a |
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function. In such a case we do not have to give value for parameters, |
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the program will use the default ones. Unfortunately sometimes this |
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is not enough. If we do not want to give values for all the |
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parameters, only for some of them we come across problems, because an |
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arbitrary set of parameters cannot be omitted. On the other hand |
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parameters have a fixed order in the head of the function. C++ can |
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apply the default values only in the back of the order, if we do not |
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give other value for them. So we can not give the function for |
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example the value of the first, and the third parameter, expecting |
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that the program will aplly the default value for the second |
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parameter. However sometimes we would like to use some functinos |
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exactly in this way. With a crafty trick and with some little |
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inconvenience this is possible. We have implemented this little trick |
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Several modern languages provide a convenient way to refer the |
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function parameters by name also when you call the function. It is |
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especially comfortable in case of a function having tons of parameters |
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with natural default values. Sadly, C++ lack this amenity. |
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However, with a crafty trick and with some little |
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inconvenience, it is possible to emulate is. |
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The example below shows how to do it. |
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@@ -54,3 +47,5 @@ |
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run() { |
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std::cout << "Here comes the function itself\n" << |
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<< "With parameters " |
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<< _id << ", " << _val << ", " << _dim << std::endl; |
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} |
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@@ -59,23 +54,4 @@ |
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Then you can use it like this. |
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The usage is the following. |
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We have to define a class, let's call it \c namedFn. Let us assume that |
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we would like to use a parameter, called \c X. In the \c namedFn class we |
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have to define an \c _X attribute, and a function \c X. The function |
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expects a parameter with the type of \c _X, and sets the value of |
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\c _X. After setting the value the function returns the class itself. The |
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class also have to have a function, called for example <tt>run()</tt>, we have |
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to implement here the original function itself. The constructor of the |
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class have to give all the attributes like \c _X the default values of |
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them. |
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If we instantiate this class, the default values will be set for the |
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attributes (originally the parameters), initially. If we call function |
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\c X, we get a class with the modified parameter value of |
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\c X. Therefore we can modify any parameter-value, independently from the |
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order. To run the algorithm we have to call the <tt>run()</tt> function at the |
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end of the row. |
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Example: |
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\code |
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@@ -84,12 +60,26 @@ |
84 | 60 |
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The trick is obvious, each "named parameter" changes one component of |
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the underlying class, then gives back a reference to it. Finally, |
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<tt>run()</tt> executes the algorithm itself. |
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85 | 65 |
\note Although it is a class, namedFn is used pretty much like as it were |
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a function. That it why |
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a function. That it why we called it namedFn instead of \c NamedFn. |
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87 | 67 |
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\note In fact, the final <tt>.run()</tt> could be made unnecessary if the |
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actual function code were put in the destructor instead. This however would make |
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hard to implement functions with return values, and would also make the |
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implementation of \ref named-templ-func-param "named template parameters" |
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very problematic. <b>Therefore, by convention, <tt>.run()</tt> must be used |
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to explicitly execute function having named parameters in Lemon.</b> |
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\note In fact, the final <tt>.run()</tt> could be made unnecessary, |
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because the algorithm could also be implemented in the destructor of |
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\c namedFn instead. This however would make it impossible to implement |
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functions with return values, and would also cause serious problems when |
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implementing \ref named-templ-func-param "named template parameters". |
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<b>Therefore, by convention, <tt>.run()</tt> must be used |
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explicitly to execute a function having named parameters |
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everywhere in LEMON.</b> |
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94 | 76 |
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\section named-templ-func-param Named Function Template Parameters |
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A named parameter can also be a template functions. The usage is |
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exactly the same, but the implementation behind is a kind of black |
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magic and they are the dirtiest part of the LEMON code. |
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You will probably never need to know how it works, but if you really |
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committed, have a look at \ref lemon/graph_to_eps.h for an example. |
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@@ -97,8 +87,10 @@ |
97 | 87 |
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The procedure above can also be applied when defining classes. In this |
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case the type of the attributes can be changed. Initially we have to |
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define a class with the default attribute types. This is the so called |
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Traits Class. Later on the types of these attributes can be changed, |
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as described below. In our software \ref lemon::DijkstraDefaultTraits is an |
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example of how a traits class looks like. |
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A similar game can also be played when defining classes. In this case |
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the type of the class attributes can be changed. Initially we have to |
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define a special class called <em>Traits Class</em> defining the |
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default type of the attributes. Then the types of these attributes can |
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be changed in the same way as described in the next section. |
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See \ref lemon::DijkstraDefaultTraits for an |
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example how a traits class implementation looks like. |
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@@ -108,5 +100,5 @@ |
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was instantiated by using a traits class as a template parameter, and |
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the class contains named parameters, we do not have to reinstantiate |
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the class with new traits class. Instead of that, adaptor classes can |
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the class contains named parameters, we do not have to instantiate again |
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the class with new traits class, but instead adaptor classes can |
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be used as shown in the following example. |
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@@ -126,8 +118,2 @@ |
126 | 118 |
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\section named-templ-func-param Named Function Template Parameters |
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If the class has so called wizard functions, the new class with the |
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modified tpye of attributes can be returned by the appropriate wizard |
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function. The usage of these wizard functions is the following: |
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*/ |
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