Re: General Allocator Regarding type definitions and void * specialized problem

From:
PeterAPIIT@gmail.com
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.c++
Date:
Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:50:31 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID:
<df36da5e-071b-458c-9335-8a10f14ce266@v26g2000prm.googlegroups.com>
This is current work.

[code]

/*
    Two steps define custom allocators

    1. Design a memory management mechanism/model
    2. Create standard-like allocators

*/

// ================================================

#ifndef _Custom_Allocator_
#define _Custom_Allocator_

#include <memory>

using std::allocator;

// ================================================

template <class T>
class MyAlloc
{

// Two Constructos which did nothing
public:

// Type Definitions

    // Pointer to element type used in memory model
    typedef T* pointer;
    // Const Pointer to element type used in memory model
    typedef const T* const_pointer;

    // Reference to element type used in memory model
    typedef T& reference;
    typedef const T& const_reference;

    // Type of the element that is being used in the memory model
    typedef T value_type;

    // Rpresent largest object in allocator memory model
    typedef size_t size_type; // Unsigned

    // Represent two pointer in two allocator model
    typedef ptrdiff_t difference_type; // Signed

// =================================================

// Member Function
    /*
        No throw is allowed for constructor
        and destructor

        C && D is trivial(Not important)

    */
    MyAlloc();
    /*
        Copy C is need because exception
        specification stated that constructor
        is not allow to throw.

        Does require operator= because
        if (this != rhs) then code will not
        be executed and Two MyAlloc object must
        same which form by C++ standard allocator

    */
    MyAlloc(const MyAlloc<T> &);
    ~MyAlloc();

/*
    Require rebind because list(nodes), vector
    (contigious)

    Rebind is a structure that enables
    an allocator for objects of one type
    interpret as to allocate storage for
    objects of another type.

    To allocate objects of
    different types than its
    template parameter

    The rebind member allows a container
    to construct an allocator for some
    arbitrary type out of the allocator type
    provided as a template parameter.

    This is the magic required
    for std::list to work properly,
    since given std::list<int>
    ( allocator<int>() ),
    std::list actually needs to allocate memory
    for Node<int>, and not int.
    Thus, they need to rebind to

    allocator<int>()::rebind<Node<int> >
        ::other instead.

    For instance, the list container gets an
    allocator<T> by default, but a list may
    well need to allocate list_nodes as well
    as T's. The container can construct an
    allocator for list_nodes out of the
    allocator for T's
    (the template parameter,
        Allocator, in this case) as follows:

    Allocator::rebind<list_node>
        ::other list_node_allocator;

*/

    /*
        Explicit call by compiler is
        allocator<T>::rebind<U>::other;

        Here allocator client(vector, list)
        request allocator type from allocator

        Therefore, allocator using rebind to
        preseve the old state type and duplicate
        a same/new state type to pass to
        allocator client.

        Then, continue to class to rework a new
        type which is
        listAllocator < node<int> > and
        not allocator<int>.

    */
    template <class U>
    struct rebind
    {
        typedef allocator<U> other;
    }

    // Return address of given object
    pointer address(reference x) const;
    const_pointer address(const_reference x) const;

    // Returns the largest value which can be passed to the 'allocate()'
function.
    size_type MaxMemory();

    /*
        Returns storage for n elements of
        the element type being used
        in the memory model.

        Elements will not be c
        onstructed/initialized.

    */
    pointer allocate(size_type);
    /*
        Deallocate element type used in
        memory model begin at position p

        Storage must be allocate by same allocator

        Size must same in allocate()
        p must not be 0.
        Elements must have been destroyed before.
    */
    void deallocate(pointer, size_type);

    /*
        Allocate must call before construct
        This is a call to placement new
        value is U
        new((void*)p) T(u);
    */
    void construct(pointer, const_reference);
    /*
        Destrory call ahead of (prior to) deallocate
        new((void*)p) T(u);
    */
    void destrory(pointer);
};

/*
    No refernce type to void* -That's why need
    specialization for void.
*/

// ================================================

template<class T1, class T2>
bool operator==(MyAlloc<T1>, MyAlloc<T2>) const
{
    return MyAlloc<T1> == MyAlloc<T2>;
}

template<class T1, class T2>
bool operator!=(MyAlloc<T1>, MyAlloc<T2>) const
{
    return MyAlloc<T1> != MyAlloc<T2>;
}

// ================================================

#endif

/*

    allocate and deallocate function are
    low level memory management which
    doesn't participate in
    object construction and destruction.

    The purpose of the allocator is to allocate
    raw memory without construction of objects,
    as well as simply deallocate memory
    without the need to destroy them.

    Usage of ::operator new and ::operator delete
    is preferred over keywords new and delete.

    A* a = new A;
    delete a;

    Intepreted by compiler as below:

    // assuming new throws std::bad_alloc upon failure

    Allocate then construct
    A* a = ::operator new(sizeof(A));
    a->A::A();

    if ( a != 0 )
    { // a check is necessary for delete

        a->~A();
        ::operator delete(a);

        Destroyed(Destruct) first
        before deallocate
    }

    Every C++ standard like allocator must provide
    these global operator== and operator!=

    Memory Model are shared model, grabage collection,
    segregrated model.

    Why write custom allocators ?
    1. To trace the memory operations of
    your application to a file
    2. Speed

    Sample Override New and delete Code

    void* operator new(size_t,void* anAddress)
    {
        return anAddress;
    }
    void* operator new(size_t size)
    {
        return Standard::Allocate(size);
    }
    void operator delete(void *anAddress)
    {
        if (anAddress)
        Standard::Free((Standard_Address&)anAddress);
    }

    The first new operator overload is for the
    new with placement syntax, instead of
    creating instances on the free store it
    will use the address you provided.

    This is useful for using preallocated memory (e.g. a buffer)
    to store your objects and still have the
    construtors and destructors called for these
    objects.

    Apparently this first overload is just the
    default one that would be generated by
    the compiler anyway.

    The second new and the delete operator overload are apparently
defined because the coder wanted to use a custom allocator.
    If the first new overload seems useless but is still present it may
be that the compiler is requiring it if you overload the new(size_t)
one ( just a guess), try removing the new(size_t, void*) definition
and see if the code still compiles and link.

    No reference to object which allocated on the stack
    This is make sense since stack unwinding
    will get clean up and you will use danling
    reference

    Never pass auto_ptrs by value
    if a function can throw

    BTW, returning auto_ptrs by value is a
    good idea for factory and
    clone like functions.
*/

// Sketch version of list

/*
template <typename T, typename A>
class node
{
typedfed node list_nodes;

typename A::rebind<list_nodes>::others listNodeAllocator;
// Actually declare listNodeAllocator < list_nodes<T> >;

};

*/
[/code]

Thanks for your correction.

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