Saving by pointer

Hi, I'am starting to learn serialization and I have proably quite simple problem but I don'tknow how to save object by pointer, with using boost serialization. I have such code

Code:

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class might
{
private:
    string name;
    string descripction;
    int level;
    int maxlevel;
    int *mana;
    int price;
    int upgrade;
    int upgradecost;
    int manaup;
    friend class boost::serialization::access;
    template<class Archive>
    void serialize(Archive & Ar, const int version){
        Ar & name;
        Ar & descripction;
        Ar & level;
        Ar & maxlevel;
        Ar & mana;
        Ar & price;
        Ar & upgrade;
        Ar & upgradecost;
        Ar & manaup;
    }

public:
    might() {}
    might(string id, string about, int magic, int endlevel, int cost, int upg, int upcost, int manacost);
    friend std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, const moc& m);
    void save(might &m, string name);
    void load(might &m, string name);
    ~might();
};

//save, load methods
void might::save(might &m, string name){
    std::ofstream ofs(name);
    boost::archive::text_oarchive oa(ofs);
    oa << m;
}

void might::load(might &m, string name){
    std::ifstream ifs(name);
    boost::archive::text_iarchive ia(ifs);
    ia >> m;
}
//code in main()
string name;
cin >> name;             
might *something = new might();
something->save(*something,name);

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When I'm trying to compile this I'm getting "left of '.serialize' must have class/struction/union "
I'm I thinking wrong somewhere how can I fix it?

O_o

And where is this error at?

Soma

> int *mana;
Why is this a pointer, and not say std::vector<int> mana ?

Further, which member of the class tells you how many elements are allocated to this pointer?

I don't know what you expect lines 16 to 24 to do, but the bitwise-and operation is not normally expected to have side-effects.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by iMalc

I don't know what you expect lines 16 to 24 to do, but the bitwise-and operation is not normally expected to have side-effects.

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That's how you serialize stuff with Boost.Serialize.
See: http://www.boost.org/doc/libs/1_53_0.../tutorial.html

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Salem

>int *mana;
Why is this a pointer, and not say std::vector<int>mana ?

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Thanks, this is the problem if I delete Ar& mana, this code saves everything without a problem (expectof course value of *mana) :

Code:

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string name;
cin >> name;
 might *something = new might("MoreTries","You got more tries",12,10,50,100,30,4);
something->save(*something,name);

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So the problem is serializing pointer.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Salem

Further,which member of the class tells you how many elements are allocatedto this pointer?

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I've defined it in constructor,should have gived all the methods, here there are:

Code:

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might::might(string id, string about, int magic, int endlevel, int cost, int upg, int upcost, int manacost){
name=id;
descripction=about;
level=1;
maxlevel=endlevel;
price=cost;
upgrade=upg;
upgradecost=upcost;
manaup=manacost;
mana= new int[maxlevel];
for(int a=0; a<maxlevel;a++){
mana[a]=magic+manaup*a;
}
}

might::~might(){
delete[] mana;
}

ostream& operator<<(ostream& os,const might& m){
os << m.name << " " <<m.descripction << " " << m.mana[m.level -1] <<" " << m.level << " " <<m.maxlevel << " " << m.price << " "<< m.upgrade << " " << m.upgradecost <<" " << m.manaup << endl;
return os;
}

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So when I'm trying to save this with Ar & mana (same for *mana or vector<int> mana) it gives me error "left of '.serialize'must have class/struction/union ".

In tutorial there such example:

Code:

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class bus_route
{
friend class boost::serialization::access;
bus_stop * stops[10];
template<classArchive>
void serialize(Archive & ar, const unsigned intversion)
{
ar & stops;
}

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and I don't see any reson to serialize pointers in a special way, am I missing something, why its not working?

ps.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Salem

> int*mana;
Why is this a pointer, and not say std::vector<int>mana ?

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If I normaly want to have an array in class should I use STL container rather than pointer?

You can't serialize a pointer: it's ambiguous what a pointer points to. It can point to some random place in memory, to some single element T or some array.
Get rid of your pointer and use std::vector.
The save and load functions seem pretty useless, too. Save should probably take a stream as parameter and serialize itself (ie, *this). Load should probably be a constructor, or it should serialize into itself (ie, *this).