Declare an Object Via Text File

[SnakeJam]

I need a way to simply declare an object based off what a text file says. For example, a text file could have the following contents:

/* buildings.txt */
house1
house2
cabin1
house3

After the program read in those as strings, I would want it to make objects of a structure using those names. Say for instance, house1 was read and loaded into a string. I would want to be able to make an object called "house1" of a structure called Buildings. The catch is that the program can't know how many objects need to be declared and what names to use before compilation. I have been trying to use a container like vector or map; however, I don't really know how to apply that to my situation.

[tabstop]

Your objects are going to have to store their own names, in a name field or similar. You just aren't going to be able to use those names as variables.

[SnakeJam]

So the structure needs to be something like this:

struct BUILDING
{
  int size;
  string object_name;
  //rest of stuff
};

Therefore meaning the object cannot have the name read in the file? Maybe I was not clear on this, but there would be another file for each building. So a file for house1 with all of its properties which would be loaded into the house1.size and other elements.

I am still unsure on how to declare a new object of structure BUILDING regardless of if I can have the name I want.

[tabstop]

So the structure needs to be something like this:

struct BUILDING
{
  int size;
  string object_name;
  //rest of stuff
};

Therefore meaning the object cannot have the name read in the file?

You have to type the variable name into the file, now. You can't do it later.

I am still unsure on how to declare a new object of structure BUILDING regardless of if I can have the name I want.

Just like any other object.

type_of_object name_of_object; //like int x or string b

[SnakeJam]

So lets say I declared 4 objects of BUILDING in the actual program code. That would work for the text file I have, but what if the text file had 5 names in it. Like this:

/* buildings.txt */
house1
house2
cabin1
house3
cabin2

How am I going to make another object for cabin2 without the program knowing that there are going to be 5?

I need some function that I can call on to create new objects of structure BUILDING whenever I read in another string from the file.

[tabstop]

So lets say I declared 4 objects of BUILDING in the actual program code. That would work for the text file I have, but what if the text file had 5 names in it. Like this:

/* buildings.txt */
house1
house2
cabin1
house3
cabin2

How am I going to make another object for cabin2 without the program knowing that there are going to be 5?

I need some function that I can call on to create new objects of structure BUILDING whenever I read in another string from the file.

You keep saying you want to use vector or map. Do so. (The usual idiom is to declare one object, read data into it, push it into the vector (which makes a copy for the vector), lather, rinse, and repeat.)

[SnakeJam]

I guess I might not be very clear about what I want to do because I don't really know how to explain it. basically I want to be able to make objects without knowing they are going to be created before the program is compiled. I don't know if its called dynamic allocation, but that would sound correct. Below is an example of what I want it to look like/do.

// 1. Read the first line
// 2. Send that to a string
// 3. Declare an object of structure BUILDING with the strings name.  Sort of like this (however, not creating an object called "string_content".  I want the object to have the name that the string contained.

BUILDING string_content;  //assume that string_content contained "house1"

//4. Then access that objects members like so:

house1.member_1

[tabstop]

I guess I might not be very clear about what I want to do because I don't really know how to explain it. basically I want to be able to make objects without knowing they are going to be created before the program is compiled. I don't know if its called dynamic allocation, but that would sound correct. Below is an example of what I want it to look like/do.

// 1. Read the first line
// 2. Send that to a string
// 3. Declare an object of structure BUILDING with the strings name.  Sort of like this (however, not creating an object called "string_content".  I want the object to have the name that the string contained.

BUILDING string_content;  //assume that string_content contained "house1"

//4. Then access that objects members like so:

house1.member_1

If you really want that, you'll probably have to write the programming language that will allow it. A map from string to building is a pretty obvious second choice, if you intend to use C++.

[SnakeJam]

Could you give me a simple example using map because I don't really know much about it. Not an entire program, just how to declare an object the way I want using map (if it is in fact that obvious). And yes, I intend to use c++.

[tabstop]

Could you give me a simple example using map because I don't really know much about it. Not an entire program, just how to declare an object the way I want using map (if it is in fact that obvious). And yes, I intend to use c++.

#include <map>
#include <string>
.. define your building ..

std::map<std::string, building> big_pile_of_buildings;
std::string building_name;
file >> building_name;
building temp_building;
.. fill in building from file ..
map[building_name] = temp_building;

[SnakeJam]

In the 8th line did you mean string temp_building or building temp_building;

Never mind, you didn't.


Anyways, that looks like what I want to d. I take it that map[building_name] is the actual declaration of the BUILDING object.

[jeffcobb]

Look up "class factories"; I think this is about as close as you are going to get. The basic pseudocode for a class factory looks like this:

void *classFactory(string strClass)
{
      void *ptrReturn = NULL;
      if( strClass == "house")
      {
            ptrReturn = static_cast<CHouse *>(new CHouse);
      }
      else if(strClass == "apartment")
      {
            ptrReturn = static_cast<CApartment>(new Apartment);
      }
      else
      {
           // make other classes
       }
       return ptrReturn;
}

So you could read a line from a file, call classFactory(line) and if it does not return NULL, it has a pointer of your desired type. It helps with functionality if all of the classes made by the class factory are from a common base class, then you do away with the void* and use a base class pointer instead.

[tabstop]

In the 8th line did you mean string temp_building or building temp_building;

Never mind, you didn't.


Anyways, that looks like what I want to d. I take it that map[building_name] is the actual declaration of the BUILDING object.

Of course not. "building temp_building" is the declaration of the object. The assignment just puts the building in the map (again, via a copy).

[SnakeJam]

This is making a lot more sense, and I get how to I should use map now.