I'm trying to write a set of matrix classes. There is a null base class, matrix_base, and three inherited classes: full_matrix, sparse_matrix, and sparse_array. All three inherited classes need to perform matrix multiplication (and other operations) with all three types, returning different types in each case. Why doesn't the following work:
Code:
class matrix_base {
...
virtual matrix_base *mat_mult(matrix_base *cand)=0;
...
};
class full_matrix:public matrix_base {
...
virtual full_matrix *mat_mult(full_matrix *cand);
virtual full_matrix *mat_mult(sparse_matrix *cand);
virtual full_matrix *mat_mult(sparse_array *cand);
...
};
class sparse_matrix:public matrix_base {
...
virtual full_matrix *mat_mult(full_matrix *cand);
virtual sparse_array *mat_mult(sparse_matrix *cand);
virtual sparse_array *mat_mult(sparse_array *cand);
...
};
class sparse_array:public matrix_base {
...
virtual full_matrix *mat_mult(full_matrix *cand);
virtual sparse_array *mat_mult(sparse_matrix *cand);
virtual sparse_array *mat_mult(sparse_array *cand);
...
};
In other words, I want to store all three types in a common base class, perform multiplications between them transparently and have them return the desired type so that I can repeat the process.
C++ only allows me to define one of these virtual functions in each inherited class. Afterwards, it thinks that the function defines a field. Now there are two easy solutions to this.
1. I can define all three functions in the base class:
Code:
class matrix_base {
...
virtual matrix_base *mat_mult(full_matrix *cand)=0;
virtual matrix_base *mat_mult(sparse_matrix *cand)=0;
virtual matrix_base *mat_mult(sparse_array *cand)=0;
...
};
which requires a lot of forward declarations. Or, I can use if or switch statements to figure out which type is being passed to the inherited class:
Code:
class sparse_array:public matrix_base {
...
virtual matrix_base *mat_mult(matrix_base *cand) {
if (strcmp("sparse_matrix", (typeid(*cand).name)==0) { ...
...
};
In either case, it seems to me I'm doing C++'s job for it.