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289 | <body> | |
290 | <div class="document" id="boost-pointer-container-library"> | |
291 | <h1 class="title"><img alt="Boost" src="boost.png" /> Pointer Container Library</h1> | |
292 | <h2 class="subtitle" id="usage-guidelines">Usage Guidelines</h2> | |
293 | <div class="contents local topic"> | |
294 | <ul class="simple"> | |
295 | <li><a class="reference" href="#choosing-the-right-container" id="id8" name="id8">Choosing the right container</a></li> | |
296 | <li><a class="reference" href="#recommended-practice-for-object-oriented-programming" id="id9" name="id9">Recommended practice for Object-Oriented Programming</a><ul> | |
297 | <li><a class="reference" href="#make-base-classes-abstract-and-without-data" id="id10" name="id10">1. Make base classes abstract and without data</a></li> | |
298 | <li><a class="reference" href="#make-virtual-functions-private-and-provide-a-non-virtual-public-forwarding-function" id="id11" name="id11">2. Make virtual functions private and provide a non-virtual public forwarding function</a></li> | |
299 | <li><a class="reference" href="#derive-your-base-class-from-boost-noncopyable" id="id12" name="id12">3. Derive your base class from <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">boost::noncopyable</span></tt></a></li> | |
300 | <li><a class="reference" href="#avoid-null-pointers-in-containers-if-possible" id="id13" name="id13">4. Avoid null-pointers in containers (if possible)</a></li> | |
301 | </ul> | |
302 | </li> | |
303 | </ul> | |
304 | </div> | |
305 | <div class="section"> | |
306 | <h1><a class="toc-backref" href="#id8" id="choosing-the-right-container" name="choosing-the-right-container">Choosing the right container</a></h1> | |
307 | <p>The recommended usage pattern of the container classes is the same as | |
308 | for normal standard containers.</p> | |
309 | <p><tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">ptr_vector</span></tt>, <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">ptr_list</span></tt> and <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">ptr_deque</span></tt> offer the programmer different | |
310 | complexity tradeoffs and should be used accordingly. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">ptr_vector</span></tt> is the | |
311 | type of sequence that should be used by default. <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">ptr_list</span></tt> should be used | |
312 | when there are frequent insertions and deletions from the middle of the | |
313 | sequence and if the container is fairly large (eg. more than 100 | |
314 | elements). <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">ptr_deque</span></tt> is the data structure of choice when most insertions | |
315 | and deletions take place at the beginning or at the end of the sequence. | |
316 | The special container <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">ptr_array</span></tt> may be used when the size of the container is invariant | |
317 | and known at compile time.</p> | |
318 | <p>An associative container supports unique keys if it may contain at most | |
319 | one element for each key. Otherwise, it supports equivalent keys. | |
320 | <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">ptr_set</span></tt> and <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">ptr_map</span></tt> support unique keys. | |
321 | <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">ptr_multiset</span></tt> and <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">ptr_multimap</span></tt> | |
322 | support equivalent keys.</p> | |
323 | </div> | |
324 | <div class="section"> | |
325 | <h1><a class="toc-backref" href="#id9" id="recommended-practice-for-object-oriented-programming" name="recommended-practice-for-object-oriented-programming">Recommended practice for Object-Oriented Programming</a></h1> | |
326 | <p>Idiomatic Object-Oriented Programming in C++ looks a bit different from | |
327 | the way it is done in other languages. This is partly because C++ | |
328 | has both value and reference semantics, and partly because C++ is more flexible | |
329 | than other languages. Below is a list of recommendations that you are | |
330 | encouraged to follow:</p> | |
331 | <div class="section"> | |
332 | <h2><a class="toc-backref" href="#id10" id="make-base-classes-abstract-and-without-data" name="make-base-classes-abstract-and-without-data">1. Make base classes abstract and without data</a></h2> | |
333 | <p>This has the following advantages:</p> | |
334 | <blockquote> | |
335 | <ol class="loweralpha simple"> | |
336 | <li>It reduces <em>coupling</em> because you do not have to maintain or update state</li> | |
337 | </ol> | |
338 | <!-- --> | |
339 | <ol class="loweralpha simple" start="2"> | |
340 | <li>It helps you to avoid <em>slicing</em></li> | |
341 | </ol> | |
342 | <!-- --> | |
343 | <ol class="loweralpha simple" start="3"> | |
344 | <li>It ensures you <em>override</em> the right function</li> | |
345 | </ol> | |
346 | </blockquote> | |
347 | <p>You might also want to read the following articles:</p> | |
348 | <ul class="simple"> | |
349 | <li>Kevlin Henney's <a class="reference" href="http://www.two-sdg.demon.co.uk/curbralan/papers/SixOfTheBest.pdf">Six of the best</a></li> | |
350 | </ul> | |
351 | <ul class="simple"> | |
352 | <li>Jack Reeves' <a class="reference" href="http://www.ddj.com/documents/s=10011/q=1/cuj0602reeves/0602reeves.html">Multiple Inheritance Considered Useful</a></li> | |
353 | </ul> | |
354 | </div> | |
355 | <div class="section"> | |
356 | <h2><a class="toc-backref" href="#id11" id="make-virtual-functions-private-and-provide-a-non-virtual-public-forwarding-function" name="make-virtual-functions-private-and-provide-a-non-virtual-public-forwarding-function">2. Make virtual functions private and provide a non-virtual public forwarding function</a></h2> | |
357 | <p>In code:</p> | |
358 | <pre class="literal-block"> | |
359 | class Polymorphic | |
360 | { | |
361 | private: | |
362 | virtual int do_foo() = 0; | |
363 | ||
364 | public: | |
365 | int foo() | |
366 | { | |
367 | return do_foo(); | |
368 | } | |
369 | ... | |
370 | }; | |
371 | </pre> | |
372 | <p>This has the following advantages:</p> | |
373 | <blockquote> | |
374 | <ol class="loweralpha simple"> | |
375 | <li>It makes sure all calls to the virtual function always goes through one place in your code</li> | |
376 | </ol> | |
377 | <!-- --> | |
378 | <ol class="loweralpha simple" start="2"> | |
379 | <li>It enables you to check preconditions and postconditions inside the forwarding function</li> | |
380 | </ol> | |
381 | </blockquote> | |
382 | <p>You might also want to read Herb Sutter's article <a class="reference" href="http://www.gotw.ca/publications/mill18.htm">Virtuality</a>.</p> | |
383 | </div> | |
384 | <div class="section"> | |
385 | <h2><a class="toc-backref" href="#id12" id="derive-your-base-class-from-boost-noncopyable" name="derive-your-base-class-from-boost-noncopyable">3. Derive your base class from <tt class="docutils literal docutils literal"><span class="pre">boost::noncopyable</span></tt></a></h2> | |
386 | <p>Having an abstact base class prevents slicing when the base class is involved, but | |
387 | it does not prevent it for classes further down the hierarchy. This is where | |
388 | <a class="reference" href="http://www.boost.org/libs/utility/utility.htm#Class_noncopyable">boost::noncopyable</a> is handy to use:</p> | |
389 | <pre class="literal-block"> | |
390 | class Polymorphic : boost::noncopyable | |
391 | { | |
392 | ... | |
393 | }; | |
394 | </pre> | |
395 | </div> | |
396 | <div class="section"> | |
397 | <h2><a class="toc-backref" href="#id13" id="avoid-null-pointers-in-containers-if-possible" name="avoid-null-pointers-in-containers-if-possible">4. Avoid null-pointers in containers (if possible)</a></h2> | |
398 | <p>By default the pointer containers do not allow you to store null-pointer in them. | |
399 | As you might know, this behavior can be changed explicitly with the use | |
400 | of <a class="reference" href="reference.html#class-nullable">boost::nullable</a>.</p> | |
401 | <p>The primary reason to avoid null-pointers | |
402 | is that you have to check for null-pointers every time the container is | |
403 | used. This extra checking is easy to forget, and it is somewhat contradictory to | |
404 | the spirit of OO where you replace special cases with dynamic dispatch.</p> | |
405 | <p>Often, however, you need to place some special object in the container because you | |
406 | do not have enough information to construct a full object. In that case | |
407 | you might be able to use the Null Object pattern which simply dictates that | |
408 | you implement virtual functions from the abstract base-class | |
409 | as empty functions or with dummy return values. This means that | |
410 | your OO-code still does not need to worry about null-pointers.</p> | |
411 | <p>You might want to read</p> | |
412 | <ul class="simple"> | |
413 | <li>Kevlin Henney's <a class="reference" href="http://www.two-sdg.demon.co.uk/curbralan/papers/europlop/NullObject.pdf">Null Object - Something for Nothing</a></li> | |
414 | </ul> | |
415 | <p>Finally you might end up in a situation where not even the Null Object can help | |
416 | you. That is when you truly need <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">container<</span> <span class="pre">nullable<T></span> <span class="pre">></span></tt>.</p> | |
417 | <hr><p><strong>Navigate:</strong></p> | |
418 | <ul class="simple"> | |
419 | <li><a class="reference" href="ptr_container.html">home</a></li> | |
420 | <li><a class="reference" href="reference.html">reference</a></li> | |
421 | </ul> | |
422 | <hr><table class="docutils field-list" frame="void" rules="none"> | |
423 | <col class="field-name" /> | |
424 | <col class="field-body" /> | |
425 | <tbody valign="top"> | |
426 | <tr class="field"><th class="field-name">Copyright:</th><td class="field-body">Thorsten Ottosen 2004-2006. Use, modification and distribution is subject to the Boost Software License, Version 1.0 (see <a class="reference" href="http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt">LICENSE_1_0.txt</a>).</td> | |
427 | </tr> | |
428 | </tbody> | |
429 | </table> | |
430 | </div> | |
431 | </div> | |
432 | </div> | |
433 | </body> | |
434 | </html> |