Re: How to avoid complex switches?

From:
"Leigh Johnston" <leigh@i42.co.uk>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.c++
Date:
Sun, 28 Mar 2010 19:47:29 +0100
Message-ID:
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"Leigh Johnston" <leigh@i42.co.uk> wrote in message
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"none" <""mort\"@(none)"> wrote in message
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Leigh Johnston wrote:

"none" <""mort\"@(none)"> wrote in message
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Leigh Johnston wrote:

"Leigh Johnston" <leigh@i42.co.uk> wrote in message
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"none" <""mort\"@(none)"> wrote in message
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Leigh Johnston wrote:

"none" <""mort\"@(none)"> wrote in message
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I have a class that takes a few template parameters:

template<typename A, typename B, typename C,typename D>
class MyClass {
// ...
};

The types A,B,C and D are selected from a user specified input
file (properties file):

A = 1
B = 2
C = 1
D = 3

I then parse this file an need to create MyClass with the correct
types:

void createMyClass (int a, int b, int c, int d) {

    switch ( a ) {
      case 1 :
        typedef test::Green ColorType;
        switch ( b ) {
          case 1 :
            typedef test::Water MediumType;
            switch ( c ) {
              case 1 :
                typedef test::Linear InterpolationType;
                MyClass<ColorTyper, MediumType, InterpolationType

myClass;

                break;
              case 2 :
                typedef test::Cubic InterpolationType;
                MyClass<ColorTyper, MediumType, InterpolationType

myClass;

                break;
              default :
            }
            break;
          case 2 :
            // ....

            break;
          default :
        }
        break;
      case 2 :
        typedef test::Blue ColorType;
        switch ( b ) {
          case 1 :
            typedef test::Water MediumType;
            switch ( c ) {
              case 1 :
                typedef test::Linear InterpolationType;
                MyClass<ColorTyper, MediumType, InterpolationType

myClass;

                break;
              case 2 :
                typedef test::Cubic InterpolationType;
                MyClass<ColorTyper, MediumType, InterpolationType

myClass;

                break;
              default :
            }
            break;
          case 2 :

            break;
          default :
        }

        break;
      default :

    }

}

But this switch grows extremely large when the number of choices
for each type grows and is also very ugly/error prone. It could be
nice if it was possible to do something like this instead:

T getAType(int a) {
  switch ( a ) {
    case 1 :
      typedef test::Green ColorType;
      break;
    case 2 :
      typedef test::Blue ColorType;
      break;
    default :
  }
  return ColorType;
}

T getBType(int b) {
  switch ( b ) {
    case 1 :
      typedef test::Water MediumType;
      break;
    case 2 :
      typedef test::Rock MediumType;
      break;
    default :
  }
  return MediumType;
}

int main(){

 typedef getAType(1) ColorType;
 typedef getBType(2) MediumType;
 ...

 MyClass<ColorType, MediumType, ...>
}

But this is not supported in C++. Any ideas on how to solve this
combinatorics problem?


I don't think you can really avoid a using switch for this type of
thing but type lists (Modern C++ Design) might make the switch code
less ugly. Personally I would just stick with the switch and
perhaps use macros. You have hit the age old compiler vs runtime
problem, perhaps you would be better off using a language which
supports reflection? :)

/Leigh


Arg! Assume I have 4 variables which can have 4 values each then I
need to hardcode 4??? = 256 cases in a monster switch!

This seems as a very basic type of functionality. Many programs
gives the user an option of selecting different values for a set of
different variables.


The problem is the variable's value is only known at runtime whilst
the template argument must be known at compile time leading to an
intractable problem. Answer: don't use templates for this; use
polymorphism perhaps instead.

/Leigh


And for the pedants out there yes I know templates are a form of
polymorphism but you know very well that I am referring to subtyping.

/Leigh


I cannot change the design of the class MyClass<A,B,C,D> or the
language so I guess its just getting down with writing that monster
switch :-)


Use macros, seriously.

/Leigh


Hm could you give an example on what you mean by macros?


void createMyClass (int a, int b, int c, int d)
{
   switch ( a ) {
     case 1 :
       typedef test::Green ColorType;
       switch ( b ) {
         case 1 :
           typedef test::Water MediumType;
           switch ( c ) {
             case 1 :
               typedef test::Linear InterpolationType;
               MyClass<ColorTyper, MediumType, InterpolationType >
myClass;
break;

becomes

void createMyClass (int a, int b, int c, int d)
{
switch ( a ) {
     case 1 :
       switch ( b ) {
         case 1 :
           switch ( c ) {
    DECLARE_MYCLASS(1, test::Green, test::Water, test::Linear)
    DECLARE_MYCLASS(2, test::Green, test::Water, test::Foo)
    DECLARE_MYCLASS(3, test::Green, test::Water, test::Bar)


I guess for this to work best you should nest your switches such that the
variables with largest number of possible values are innermost.

/Leigh

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