How can I use a char* value in the name of a variable?
Author
say I want to call a function with a char* as a parameter and in that function I want to create a variable using the value of that char*. i.e.
function("string goes here"); OR
function(charVariable);
and in the function it would do something like...
function(char* charvalue)
{
int charvalue;
}
so the int variable would be the name of whatever the string in charvalue is. sorry if it isn't the easiest to understand, but that is the jist of what I am looking to do.
EDIT: I forgot to mention that I am using c/c++ NOT c#
you can't. variable names don't exist once the code is compiled.
Why are you trying to do this? There's probably a "correct" solution to your problem.
-me
Why are you trying to do this? There's probably a "correct" solution to your problem.
-me
You want the variable name to be the value of another variable? You can't do that sorry. The variable name is only there as a means for you as the programmer to reference the data is represents. The actual name vanishes when the application is compiled. Also think about it, how are you going to reference the variable within the function when you don't know it's name before run-time?
EDIT: too slow [smile]
EDIT: too slow [smile]
Author
What about any preprocessor way?
Ok, here is the problem. I have a base class and quite a number of derived classes. I also have functions that any of these classes can use that aren't part of the class itself. So when I am passing a reference of the class that is using it, I need to know what TYPE the class is when I am using it so I can typecast. The idea is the have onetypecast to whatever my type is rather than having to determine my type (I store a type ID) then choose the correct typecast.
My example is the following:
Object - base class.
Box, Circle, Triangle - derived classes;
For some reason I use an external script to rotate the item, but Triangle uses a variable that is specific to it and not the other classes, therefore I need to cast it to a triangle in order to access it. Prior to this everyhting would just be cast to an object. I know the basic answer is "just check the type and cast it" but when I end up having 20 types and multiple different variables, some that might be shared across a few types, it would be much easier to just autocast to its type. The reason I figured I could do this is because if I had a define like this
#define cast ((objectType) object)
with objecttype being the string, when I passed in a string to that function then it would cast it to what I wanted. But since that seems impossible, then I am out of luck I guess.
Ok, here is the problem. I have a base class and quite a number of derived classes. I also have functions that any of these classes can use that aren't part of the class itself. So when I am passing a reference of the class that is using it, I need to know what TYPE the class is when I am using it so I can typecast. The idea is the have onetypecast to whatever my type is rather than having to determine my type (I store a type ID) then choose the correct typecast.
My example is the following:
Object - base class.
Box, Circle, Triangle - derived classes;
For some reason I use an external script to rotate the item, but Triangle uses a variable that is specific to it and not the other classes, therefore I need to cast it to a triangle in order to access it. Prior to this everyhting would just be cast to an object. I know the basic answer is "just check the type and cast it" but when I end up having 20 types and multiple different variables, some that might be shared across a few types, it would be much easier to just autocast to its type. The reason I figured I could do this is because if I had a define like this
#define cast ((objectType) object)
with objecttype being the string, when I passed in a string to that function then it would cast it to what I wanted. But since that seems impossible, then I am out of luck I guess.
Go further: tell us, why triangle is so different for this function [smile]? Might you need to look at such techniques as double dispatch perhaps?
When you need to know the difference between types it shows weaknesses in your inheritance hierarchy.
When you need to know the difference between types it shows weaknesses in your inheritance hierarchy.
casts are the sign of a defect somewhere. Is the defect in the programming language that you are using or is it in your code?
Consider one of the following solutions:
not using inheritance
using virtual functions
posting your actual problem so that we can help you solve it
also using char* is generally the wrong thing to do. C++ has a string class, use it.
Consider one of the following solutions:
not using inheritance
using virtual functions
posting your actual problem so that we can help you solve it
also using char* is generally the wrong thing to do. C++ has a string class, use it.
Author
The problem is more like the boss/lead scripter who wants things his way and I can't really argue with the boss. So the classes have an instance of a script. But each script can be used by multiple object types. Sometimes I script will do something specific when the object is of a certain type and will use a variable that only that type has. Of course this could be solved by putting that in the base class but then every class would have an unneccessary instance of a variable. We pass into the scripts the base object, no matter which type it is. As of now we are simply typecasting if we need it to be a certain type. It truly is not ideal in my mind, but I don't make the final decisions around here. I would love to not have to typecast. I obviously can't speak too indepth about it because it's kind of confidential, but the theory is the same no matter how I am using it.
It sounds like you might be able to use the visitor design pattern *shudder*.
I say that because it seems like you want to perform some special action on only one type in a hierarchy.
But I might be wrong; it's really hard to see what you mean without an actual example. Can you cast the problem into some actual code that you can paste here?
Edd
I say that because it seems like you want to perform some special action on only one type in a hierarchy.
But I might be wrong; it's really hard to see what you mean without an actual example. Can you cast the problem into some actual code that you can paste here?
Edd
Author
Ok, I'll try and see if I can do it in code
With this here I can tell what the type is but the object itself does not have access to the m_fRotationTimer. I would have to typecast it to a Box. And what if I had a circle in there that had an angle value stored that I needed to mess with? Another typecast.
class Object{public: Object(); ~Object(); eID GetType(); eID eType;};class Box : public Object{public: Box(); ~Box(); float m_fRotationTimer;};class Script{public: Script(); ~Script(); void Rotate(Object* pObject);};void Script :: Rotate(Object* pObject){ if(pObject->GetType() == Box) float m_fRotationTimer += 1; else pObject->Rotate(0,0,1);}Box* pBox;Script* pScript;pScript->Rotate((Object*)pBox);With this here I can tell what the type is but the object itself does not have access to the m_fRotationTimer. I would have to typecast it to a Box. And what if I had a circle in there that had an angle value stored that I needed to mess with? Another typecast.
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