Problems with objects getting sliced to base class

From:
Adrian <bitbucket@bluedreamer.com>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.c++
Date:
Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:27:32 -0600
Message-ID:
<oM-dnURPhqR5WJLVnZ2dnUVZ_tWtnZ2d@comcast.com>
In the following code example I am trying to create a generic interface for a bunch of objects. Each concrete type is stored in its own container and the a container of pointer's to base is used so I can access all at once.

I created a specialization of the template for Fruit *'s so that it returns a reference and the code looks the same as when accessing a concrete type.

I've managed to get everything working so far except accessing all object in the container through a base iterator. When inserting into the base deque the objects get sliced back to the base class. And I have no idea why. I've tried various casts but none seem to work

Any help appreciated.

Adrian

#include <iostream>
#include <vector>
#include <string>
#include <deque>
#include <iterator>

class Fruit
{
   public:
      Fruit(const std::string &brand) : brand_(brand) {}
      friend std::ostream &operator<<(std::ostream &os, const Fruit &rhs)
      {
         rhs.print(os);
         return os;
      }
      virtual ~Fruit()=0;
   protected:
      std::string brand_;

   private:
      virtual void print(std::ostream &os) const
      {
         // should be pure - done for debug
         os << "OOPS";
      }
};

class Apple : public Fruit
{
   public:
      Apple(const std::string &brand) : Fruit(brand) {}
   private:
      void print(std::ostream &os) const
      {
         os << "I am " << brand_ << " apple";
      }
};

class Pear : public Fruit
{
   public:
      Pear(const std::string &brand) : Fruit(brand) {}
      void print(std::ostream &os) const
      {
         os << "I am " << brand_ << " pear";
      }
};

class Orange : public Fruit
{
   public:
      Orange(const std::string &brand) : Fruit(brand) {}
      void print(std::ostream &os) const
      {
         os << "I am " << brand_ << " orange";
      }
};

template <class H, class T>
struct typelist
{
   typedef H head;
   typedef T tail;
};

class null_typelist {};

typedef typelist<Apple, typelist<Pear, typelist<Orange, null_typelist> > > AllFruits;

template <class TList, class T> struct IndexOf;
template<class T>
struct IndexOf<null_typelist, T>
{
   enum { value=-1 };
};

template<class T, class Tail>
struct IndexOf<typelist<T, Tail>, T>
{
   enum { value=0 };
};

template<class Head, class Tail, class T>
struct IndexOf<typelist<Head, Tail>, T>
{
   private:
      enum { temp=IndexOf<Tail, T>::value };
   public:
      enum { value=temp==-1?-1:1+temp };
};

Fruit::~Fruit()
{
}

class FruitBox
{
      std::vector<void *> containers_;
      std::deque<Apple> apples_;
      std::deque<Pear> pears_;
      std::deque<Orange> oranges_;
      std::deque<Fruit *> fruit_;
   public:
      void testit(std::ostream &os)
      {
         for(std::deque<Fruit *>::iterator i=fruit_.begin(); i!=fruit_.end(); ++i)
         {
            os << *(*i) << std::endl;
         }
      }
      FruitBox()
      {
         containers_.push_back(&apples_);
         containers_.push_back(&pears_);
         containers_.push_back(&oranges_);
      }
      template<class T>
      class iterator : public std::iterator<std::bidirectional_iterator_tag,T,ptrdiff_t>
      {
            std::deque<T> *r;
            typename std::deque<T>::iterator it;
         public:
            iterator(std::deque<T> &lst, const typename std::deque<T>::iterator &i)
               :r(&lst), it(i) {}
            bool operator==(const iterator &x) const {
               return it==x.it;
            }
            bool operator!=(const iterator &x) const {
               return !(*this==x);
            }
            typename std::deque<T>::reference operator*() const {
               return *it;
            }

            iterator &operator++(){
               ++it;
               return *this;
            }
      };
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
      template<class T>
      iterator<T> begin()
      {
         std::deque<T> &real_cont=*reinterpret_cast<std::deque<T> *>(containers_[IndexOf<AllFruits, T>::value]);
         return iterator<T>(real_cont, real_cont.begin());
      }
      template<class T>
      iterator<T> end()
      {
         std::deque<T> &real_cont=*reinterpret_cast<std::deque<T> *>(containers_[IndexOf<AllFruits, T>::value]);
         return iterator<T>(real_cont, real_cont.end());
      }
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
      template<class T>
      void insert(const T &val)
      {
         std::deque<T> &real_cont=*reinterpret_cast<std::deque<T> *>(containers_[IndexOf<AllFruits, T>::value]);
         real_cont.push_back(val);
// fruit_.push_back(const_cast<T *>(&val));
         T &ptr=const_cast<T&>(val);
         fruit_.push_back(&ptr);
// std::cout << "ptr=" << ptr << std::endl;
// std::cout << "val=" << val << std::endl;
         testit(std::cout);
      }
   private:
};

template<>
class FruitBox::iterator<Fruit> : public std::iterator<std::bidirectional_iterator_tag,Fruit,ptrdiff_t>
{
      std::deque<Fruit *> *r;
      std::deque<Fruit *>::iterator it;
   public:
      iterator(std::deque<Fruit *> &lst, const std::deque<Fruit *>::iterator &i)
         :r(&lst), it(i)
      {
         for(std::deque<Fruit *>::const_iterator woof=lst.begin(); woof!=lst.end(); ++woof)
         {
            std::cout << "Woof:" << *(*woof) << std::endl;
         }
         if(i!=lst.end())
         std::cout << "iter con=" << *(*i) << std::endl;
      }
      bool operator==(const iterator &x) const {
         return it==x.it;
      }
      bool operator!=(const iterator &x) const {
         return !(*this==x);
      }
      Fruit &operator*() const
      {
         std::cout << "Boo:" << *(*it) << std::endl;
         return **it;
      }

      iterator &operator++(){
         ++it;
         return *this;
      }
};

template<>
FruitBox::iterator<Fruit> FruitBox::begin()
{
   return FruitBox::iterator<Fruit>(fruit_, fruit_.begin());
}

template<>
FruitBox::iterator<Fruit> FruitBox::end()
{
   return FruitBox::iterator<Fruit>(fruit_, fruit_.end());
}

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
   FruitBox box;

   box.insert(Apple("Granny Smith"));
   box.insert(Apple("Golden Delicious"));
   box.insert(Pear("Sweet"));
   box.insert(Pear("Sour"));
   box.insert(Orange("Blood"));
   box.insert(Orange("Navel"));

   FruitBox::iterator<Apple> ap=box.begin<Apple>();
   for(; ap!=box.end<Apple>(); ++ap)
   {
      std::cout << "Apple iter=" << (*ap) << std::endl;
   }

   FruitBox::iterator<Pear> pe=box.begin<Pear>();
   for(; pe!=box.end<Pear>(); ++pe)
   {
      std::cout << "Pear iter=" << (*pe) << std::endl;
   }

   FruitBox::iterator<Fruit> fr=box.begin<Fruit>();
   for(; fr!=box.end<Fruit>(); ++fr)
   {
      std::cout << "Fruit iter=" << (*fr) << std::endl;
   }

   //box.testit(std::cout);

   return 0;
}

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