Re: Some questions from a n00b

From:
Robert Hutchings <rm.hutchings@gmail.com>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.c++
Date:
Sat, 18 Oct 2014 10:07:38 -0500
Message-ID:
<m1tvno$ak4$1@dont-email.me>
On 10/18/2014 9:49 AM, Paavo Helde wrote:

Robert Hutchings <rm.hutchings@gmail.com> wrote in news:m1ttlj$3m3$1
@dont-email.me:

Given this code:

#include <iostream>
#include <set>

using namespace std;

// ---------------- Observer interface -----------------
class Observer {
public:
      virtual void Notify() = 0;
};

// ---------------- Observable object -------------------
class Observable {
      static Observable* instance;
      set<Observer*> observers;
      Observable() { };
public:
      static Observable* GetInstance();
      void AddObserver(Observer& o);
      void RemoveObserver(Observer& o);
      void NotifyObservers();
      void Trigger();
};

Observable* Observable::instance = NULL;

Observable* Observable::GetInstance()
{
      if (instance == NULL) {
           instance = new Observable();
      }

      return instance;
}

void Observable::AddObserver(Observer& o)
{
      observers.insert(&o);
}

void Observable::RemoveObserver(Observer& o)
{
      observers.erase(&o);
}

void Observable::NotifyObservers()
{
      set<Observer*>::iterator itr;
      for (itr = observers.begin();
           itr != observers.end(); itr++)
           (*itr)->Notify();
}

// TEST METHOD TO TRIGGER
// IN THE REAL SCENARIO THIS IS NOT REQUIRED
void Observable::Trigger()
{
      NotifyObservers();
}

// ------ Concrete class interested in notifications ---
class MyClass : public Observer {

      Observable* observable;

public:
      MyClass() {
           observable = Observable::GetInstance();
           observable->AddObserver(*this);
      }

      ~MyClass() {
           observable->RemoveObserver(*this);
      }

      void Notify() {
           cout << "Received a change event" << endl;
      }
};

void main()
{
      Observable* observable = Observable::GetInstance();
      MyClass* obj = new MyClass();
      observable->Trigger();
}

What if I don't to use a SET? What is the advantage of using pointers
with "new", as apposed to NOT using pointers?


Whic pointers exactly? You have a lot of them here.

"MyClass* obj = new MyClass()" is not needed (and you have a memory leak
caused by it), you could do equally well

MyClass obj;

Dynamic allocation is needed only if the lifetime of the object is not
bound to a single scope.

You also have a lot of pointers to Observable. Most of them could be
replaced by a reference for a bit better syntax.

You don't need the member variable MyClass::observable, instead you can
call Observable::GetInstance() whenever needed.

But inside the Observable, you need a std::set or some other container of
pointers though (because you cannot put references into a container, as
they are not objects, unlike pointers).

hth
Paavo


OK, thanks for that Paavo.

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