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//

//  W A R N I N G

//  -------------

//

// This file is not part of the Qt API.  It exists purely as an

// implementation detail.  This header file may change from version to

// version without notice, or even be removed.

//

// We mean it.

#ifndef Patternist_CppCastingHelper_H

#define Patternist_CppCastingHelper_H

#include <QtCore/QtGlobal>

QT_BEGIN_HEADER

QT_BEGIN_NAMESPACE

namespace QPatternist

{

    /**

     * @short Provides convenience methods for performing static casts between C++ classes.

     *

     * In Patternist, it is very common to do up-casts from Expression or Item, which typically

     * involves writing messy code. Such an old-way cast looks like this:

     *

     * @code

     * static_cast<const MyClass *>(myInstance.data())->myClassMember()

     * @endcode

     *

     * CppCastingHelper provides the convenience method as() for this, which is functionally

     * equivalent to the above code, but simpler:

     *

     * @code

     * myInstance->as<MyClass>()->myClassMember()

     * @endcode

     *

     * The as() function performs a static cast.

     *

     * By using CppCastingHelper, this is achieved:

     *

     * - Const correctness is automatically taken care of

     * - Less code to write

     * - When compiling in debug mode, the as() functions uses a @c dynamic_cast to verify that the

     *   static casts are properly done, such that sensible error messages are given when the casts

     *   are invalid. It also traps invalid casts which nevertheless happen to work on a particular

     *   platform/compiler/hardware architecture.

     *

     * CppCastingHelper is a template class where the TSubClass parameter must be the class

     * inheriting CppCastingHelper. See Item or Expression for demonstration.

     *

     * @author Frans Englich <frans.englich@nokia.com>

     */

    template<typename TSubClass>

    class CppCastingHelper

    {

    public:

        /**

         * Casts this instance to:

         *

         * @code

         * const TCastTarget *

         * @endcode

         *

         * and returns the result.

         *

         * When compiled in debug mode, this function perform a @c dynamic_cast, in order to

         * check the correctness of the cast.

         */

        template<typename TCastTarget>

        inline const TCastTarget *as() const

        {

#if defined(Patternist_DEBUG) && !defined(Q_CC_XLC)

/* At least on aix-xlc-64, the compiler cries when it sees dynamic_cast. */

            Q_ASSERT_X(dynamic_cast<const TCastTarget *>(static_cast<const TSubClass *>(this)),

                       Q_FUNC_INFO,

                       "The cast is invalid. This class does not inherit the cast target.");

#endif

            return static_cast<const TCastTarget *>(static_cast<const TSubClass *>(this));

        }

        /**

         * Casts this instance to:

         *

         * @code

         * TCastTarget *

         * @endcode

         *

         * and returns the result.

         *

         * When compiled in debug mode, a @c dynamic_cast is attempted, in order to

         * check the correctness of the cast.

         */

        template<typename TCastTarget>

        inline TCastTarget *as()

        {

#if defined(Patternist_DEBUG) && !defined(Q_CC_XLC)

/* At least on aix-xlc-64, the compiler cries when it sees dynamic_cast. */

            Q_ASSERT_X(dynamic_cast<TCastTarget *>(static_cast<TSubClass *>(this)),

                       Q_FUNC_INFO,

                       "The cast is invalid. This class does not inherit the cast target.");

#endif

            return static_cast<TCastTarget *>(static_cast<TSubClass *>(this));

        }

    protected:

        /**

         * This constructor is protected because this class must be sub-classed.

         */

        inline CppCastingHelper() {}

    };

}

QT_END_NAMESPACE

QT_END_HEADER

#endif