Type definitions within conditionals?

Is this possible?

void definer(int bitrate)
{

if (bitrate = 8) typedef char MY_TYPE;

if (bitrate = 32) typedef signed long MY_TYPE;

}

Then, MY_TYPE would be used in the main() function.

I'm making an audio app using the RtAudio classes, which has numerous functions that require the size of each piece of audio data. At compile time, I could use #ifdef BITRATE_8 #define ... #endif, but I need this to be at runtime. Even within the definer function, if I try to use MY_TYPE later, GCC gives an error saying MY_TYPE is not defined in the scope. Any ideas?

Use a union, something like

Code:

---

struct mytype {
  enum { B8, B32 } bitrate;
  union {
    unsigned char b8_value;
    unsigned long int b32_value;
  } v;
};

---

Then you can say things like

Code:

---

struct mytype foo, bar;
foo.bitrate = B8;
foo.v.b8_value = 123;

bar.bitrate = B32;
bar.v.b32_value = 123456;

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Salem

Then you can say things like

Code:

---

struct mytype foo, bar;
foo.bitrate = B8;
foo.v.b8_value = 123;

bar.bitrate = B32;
bar.v.b32_value = 123456;

---

---

Thanks! But the point is that the later functions shouldn't have to check whether the bitrate is 8 or 32 ... they should just be able to access "bar.v.value" or something like that.

I suppose you could create a bunch of template functions, and instantiate B8 and B32 versions of each of those functions.

If you put the union in a class with a static member indicating the current bit rate, with suitable functions and operator overloading, you can then use variables of that type without having to think about checking the bitrate each time (it being done within the class)...

You cannot dynamically change types in your programme - typedefs are 'hardwired' in at compile/link time - any runtime changes would need to be coded in to your application.