Delegate in Standard C++
Microsoft introduced a new feature called "delegates" in the .NET framework. It is actually a class that holds a list of function pointers. As long as they own the same function signature, the delegate object can hold static, global, or member function pointers. Now I'm going to do the same in a "unmanaged C++" by way of using the "external polymorphism" pattern.
1. Construct the abstract delegate base class
class Delegate {
public:
virtual void Invoke()=0;
protected:
Delegate(){}
virtual ~Delegate(){}
};
2. Construct a derive class which accepts a static/global function pointer
//NonTypeDelegate.h #include "Delegate.h" class NonTypeDelegate : public Delegate { public: void Invoke(); NonTypeDelegate(void (*pfn)(int),int iParam); virtual ~NonTypeDelegate(){} private: void (*m_pfn)(int); int m_iParam; }; //NonTypeDelegate.cpp #include "NonTypeDelegate.h" #include <iostream> using namespace std; NonTypeDelegate::NonTypeDelegate(void (*pfn)(int), int iParam):m_pfn(pfn), m_iParam(iParam) { } void NonTypeDelegate::Invoke() { cout << "NonTypeDelegate Invoke\r\n"; m_pfn(m_iParam); }
3. Construct another derive class which accepts a member function pointer
//TypeDelegate.hpp
#include "Delegate.h"
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
template <typename T>
class TypeDelegate : public Delegate
{
public:
void Invoke();
TypeDelegate(T &t, void (T::*pfn)(int), int iParam);
~TypeDelegate(){}
private:
T m_t;
void (T::*m_pfn)(int);
int m_iParam;
};
template<typename T>
TypeDelegate<T>::TypeDelegate(T &t,
void (T::*pfn)(int),
int iParam):m_t(t),
m_pfn(pfn),
m_iParam(iParam)
{
}
template<typename T>
void TypeDelegate<T7gt;::Invoke()
{
cout << "TypeDelegate Invoke\r\n";
(m_t.*m_pfn)(m_iParam);
}
4. Now glue up all the stuffs
#include <iostream>
#include "NonTypeDelegate.h"
#include "TypeDelegate.hpp"
#include <vector>
using namespace std;
void Test(int iParam)
{
cout << "Test Invoked\r\n";
}
class A
{
public:
void Test(int iParam)
{
cout << "A::Test Invoked\r\n";
}
};
int main(int argc, char* argv[])
{
NonTypeDelegate nTDelegate(Test,1);
A a;
TypeDelegate<A> tDelegate(a,A::Test,2);
vector<Delegate*> vecpDelegate;
vecpDelegate.push_back(&nTDelegate);
vecpDelegate.push_back(&tDelegate);
for (vector<Delegate*>::const_iterator kItr=vecpDelegate.begin();
kItr!=vecpDelegate.end();
++kItr)
{
(*kItr)->Invoke();
}
return 0;
}
5. And the output is
NonTypeDelegate Invoke Test Invoked TypeDelegate Invoke A::Test Invoked
Conclusion
Actually, you can derive a class which can accept different signature of functions pointer. Thanks to the powerful "external polymorphism" pattern.
References
Chris Cleeland, Douglas C.Schmidt and Timothy H.Harrison External Polymorphism : An Object Structural Pattern for Transparently Extending C++ Concrete Data Types

Comments
little mistake:-)
Posted by zhou_sqy on 12/22/2005 01:07amTypeDelegate tDelegate(a,A::Test,2); -------------------------------------- TypeDelegate tDelegate(a,&A::Test,2);
ReplyA better approach using std C++ and boost::signal/function/bind/lambda
Posted by Legacy on 02/23/2004 12:00amOriginally posted by: Jeff Flinn
See http://www.boost.org/doc/html/signals.html#id2519335, for much simpler and more complete implementation. Note that delegates as shown in Ben Chun Pong Chan's original examples are really examples of the publisher/subscriber patten.
Also see www.boost.org for methods that are soon to be part of the next C++ standard, in particular boost::bind and boost::function. These are powerful and general utilities for dealing with functions - for those situtions not addressed by boost::signal
ReplyJeff
And...
Posted by Legacy on 03/14/2002 12:00amOriginally posted by: Lorien
How can i do a call to a func ptr of a instantiated class?
if i have:
class a
{
public:
a() {FuncPtr = Func1;};
a(int t)
{
if(t = 0) FuncPtr = Func1;
else FuncPtr = Func2;
};
void Func1() {printf("Hello\n");};
void Func2() {printf("Bye\n");};
void (a::*FuncPtr)();
}
class b
{
public:
b();
a *v_a;
void Init()
{
/* Anything */
v_a = new a(1);
/* Here i wanna call the FuncPtr member of v_a */
/* I tried: (a->*FuncPtr)(); and more, doesn't runs */
/* I don't want to declare FuncPtr into b */
};
}
ReplyGreat!
Posted by Legacy on 03/03/2002 12:00amOriginally posted by: Chen Fong
!!
Replylack s the .net delegate features
Posted by Legacy on 02/17/2002 12:00amOriginally posted by: biondello
Interesting approach but it lacks two of .net delegates really cool features. In .Net delegates are multicast and have an invocation list to call multiple subscribers. The other one is that subscribers can be of different types. You can have instances of form1, form2 and form3 subscribe to a delegate of a button class instance and the delegate can call member functions of all the form instances. With the template approach it seems to me that you are bound to one subscriber type. Any ideas how to solve this problem?
Replybehind the curtain
Posted by Legacy on 02/04/2002 12:00amOriginally posted by: rb
Very nice stuff!
ReplyThere is a view behind the curtain of C#. Now i have understood C# delegates better.
Nice work. Is it possibel to deligate the method of an initiated class instanse?
Posted by Legacy on 01/29/2002 12:00amOriginally posted by: T. Liu
.
Reply