Please suggest use-cases for introspective code generation

From:
Tony Delroy <tony_in_da_uk@yahoo.co.uk>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.c++.moderated
Date:
Thu, 4 Sep 2008 22:23:51 CST
Message-ID:
<ddf313ca-ab96-447d-9d80-4c7e3311a13b@e39g2000hsf.googlegroups.com>
Hi folks,

I'm looking for a few more interesting use cases to help validate and
mature the design / implementation, and use as case studies in the
documentation, of a C++ introspective preprocessor / code generator.

A few examples to get you started (hopefully not enough to get you
bored):

- auto-generation of object serialisation / deserialisation member
functions
   - based on operator<<(std::ostream&, ) / binary / XML

- run-time execution based on textual identifier/params
   - member functions ala
     std::string get_member_variable(const char identifier[]) const;
     std::string call_member_function(const char fn_identifier,
std::vector<const std::string& args);
     std::string call_member_function(const char fn_identifier,
std::vector<const std::string& args) const;
     ( requires operator>> able to stream into actual argument types )
   - class/object registries

- abstract interfaces for the union or intersection of members in an
arbitrary list of concrete class
   - associated factories

- abstract interfaces for the members in a template (example at end of
email)
   - associated code for polymorphic access to existing object, factory
method

- incorporation of code from external utilities - e.g. generation of
perfect hash-tables, database metadata etc.

....

Anyway, creative but practical suggestions very much appreciated...

Regards,

Tony

--- compile-time to run-time polymorphic handover ---

just a quick example of the kind of techniques I'm aiming to support -
nothing new or exciting about the below - but automating generation
makes it practical on a larger scale...

#include <iostream>

// > generated
struct Abstract_C {
     virtual ~Abstract_C() { }
     virtual double add(double) const = 0;
};
// < generated

template <typename A>
struct C {
     C(const A& a) : a_(a) { }
     double add(double b) const {
       std::cout << __PRETTY_FUNCTION__ << '\n';
       return a_ + b;
     }

   private:
     A a_;

   // > generated
     struct AbstractPtr : public Abstract_C {
         AbstractPtr(C* p) : p_(p) { }
         double add(double b) const { return p_->add(b); }
       private:
         C* p_;
     };

   public:
     AbstractPtr* accessor() { return new AbstractPtr(this); }

   private:
     struct Abstract : C, public Abstract_C {
         Abstract(const A& a) : C(a) { }
         double add(double b) const { return C::add(b); }
     };

   public:
     static Abstract_C* factory(const A& a) { return new Abstract(a); }
   // < generated
};

int main()
{
     C<int> c1(-5);
     assert(c1.add(10) == 5);

     Abstract_C* p_c1 = c1.accessor();
     assert(p_c1->add(-5) == -10);
     delete p_c1;
     assert(c1.add(100) == 95); // c1 still exists...

     Abstract_C* p_c2 = C<float>::factory(12.5);
     assert(p_c2->add(29.5) == 42);
     delete p_c2;
     // no c2...
}

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