openmethod/doc/modules/ROOT/examples/synopsis.cpp

// Copyright (c) 2018-2025 Jean-Louis Leroy
// Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0.
// See accompanying file LICENSE_1_0.txt
// or copy at http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)

// NOTE: No actual animals were hurt while designing, coding, compiling and
// running this example.

// =============================================================================
// Define a few polymorphic classes...

class Animal {
  public:
    virtual ~Animal() {
    }
};

class Dog : public Animal {};
class Bulldog : public Dog {};
class Cat : public Animal {};
class Dolphin : public Animal {};

// =============================================================================
// Add behavior to existing classes, without modifying them.

#include <boost/openmethod.hpp>
#include <boost/openmethod/initialize.hpp>

using boost::openmethod::virtual_ptr;

// Classes must be registered:
BOOST_OPENMETHOD_CLASSES(Animal, Dog, Cat, Dolphin);

// ...but it does not have to be in one call to 'BOOST_OPENMETHOD_CLASSES', as long as
// inheritance relationships can be deduced. This allows *adding* classes to an
// existing collection of classes.
BOOST_OPENMETHOD_CLASSES(Dog, Bulldog);

// Define a uni-method, i.e. a method with a single virtual argument. This is in
// essence a virtual function implemented as a free function.
BOOST_OPENMETHOD(poke, (virtual_ptr<Animal>, std::ostream&), void);

// Implement 'poke' for dogs.
BOOST_OPENMETHOD_OVERRIDE(
    poke, (virtual_ptr<Dog> /*dog*/, std::ostream& os), void) {
    os << "bark";
}

// Implement 'poke' for bulldogs. They behave like Dogs, but, in addition, they
// fight back.
BOOST_OPENMETHOD_OVERRIDE(
    poke, (virtual_ptr<Bulldog> dog, std::ostream& os), void) {
    next(dog, os); // calls "base" method, i.e. definition for Dog
    os << " and bite";
}

// A multi-method with two virtual arguments...
BOOST_OPENMETHOD(
    meet, (virtual_ptr<Animal>, virtual_ptr<Animal>, std::ostream&), void);

// 'meet' catch-all implementation.
BOOST_OPENMETHOD_OVERRIDE(
    meet, (virtual_ptr<Animal>, virtual_ptr<Animal>, std::ostream& os), void) {
    os << "ignore";
}

// Add definitions for specific pairs of animals.
BOOST_OPENMETHOD_OVERRIDE(
    meet,
    (virtual_ptr<Dog> /*dog1*/, virtual_ptr<Dog> /*dog2*/, std::ostream& os),
    void) {
    os << "wag tail";
}

BOOST_OPENMETHOD_OVERRIDE(
    meet,
    (virtual_ptr<Dog> /*dog*/, virtual_ptr<Cat> /*cat*/, std::ostream& os),
    void) {
    os << "chase";
}

BOOST_OPENMETHOD_OVERRIDE(
    meet,
    (virtual_ptr<Cat> /*cat*/, virtual_ptr<Dog> /*dog*/, std::ostream& os),
    void) {
    os << "run";
}

// =============================================================================
// main

#include <iostream>
#include <memory>
#include <string>

auto main() -> int {
    // Initialize the dispatch tables.
    boost::openmethod::initialize<>();

    // Create a few objects.
    // Note that the actual classes are type-erased to base class Animal!
    std::unique_ptr<Animal> hector = std::make_unique<Bulldog>(),
                            snoopy = std::make_unique<Dog>(),
                            sylvester = std::make_unique<Cat>(),
                            flipper = std::make_unique<Dolphin>();

    // Call 'poke'.
    std::cout << "poke snoopy: ";
    poke(*snoopy, std::cout); // bark
    std::cout << "\n";

    std::cout << "poke hector: ";
    poke(*hector, std::cout); // bark and bite
    std::cout << "\n";

    // Call 'meet'.
    std::cout << "hector meets sylvester: ";
    meet(*hector, *sylvester, std::cout); // chase
    std::cout << "\n";

    std::cout << "sylvester meets hector: ";
    meet(*sylvester, *hector, std::cout); // run
    std::cout << "\n";

    std::cout << "hector meets snoopy: ";
    meet(*hector, *snoopy, std::cout); // wag tail
    std::cout << "\n";

    std::cout << "hector meets flipper: ";
    meet(*hector, *flipper, std::cout); // ignore
    std::cout << "\n";
}

// Let's look at the code generated by clang++-14 for method call.

void call_poke(Animal& a, std::ostream& os) {
    poke(a, os);

    // Instructions in the same paragraph are independent, thus they can be
    // executed in parallel.

    // mov	rax, qword ptr [rdi]                ; read vptr
    // mov	rdx, qword ptr [rip + global+24]    ; M hash factor (multiply)

    // imul	rdx, qword ptr [rax - 8]            ; multiply vptr[-1] (&typeid(a)) by M
    // mov	cl, byte ptr [rip + global+32]      ; S hash factor (shift)

    // shr	rdx, cl                             ; shift by S: this is the position of
    //                                          ; the method table for the dynamic class of 'a'
    //                                          ; in the global hash table
    // mov	rax, qword ptr [rip + global+40]    ; address of global hash table

    // mov	rax, qword ptr [rax + 8*rdx]        ; method table for the class
    // mov	rcx, qword ptr [rip + method+96]    ; offset of the 'poke' in method table

    // mov	rax, qword ptr [rax + 8*rcx]        ; read function pointer at offset

    // jmp	rax                                 ; tail call
}

void call_meet(Animal& a, Animal& b, std::ostream& os) {
    meet(a, b, os);

    // Instructions in the same paragraph are independent, thus they can be
    // executed in parallel.

    // mov	r8, qword ptr [rdi]                 ; vptr of 'a'
    // mov	r9, qword ptr [rip + global+24]     ; M hash factor (multiply)
    // mov	cl, byte ptr [rip + global+32]      ; S hash factor (shift)

    // mov	r10, qword ptr [r8 - 8]             ; read a.vptr[-1] (&a)

    // imul	r10, r9                             ; multiply by M

    // shr	r10, cl                             ; index of method table for 'a'
    // mov	r8, qword ptr [rip + global+40]     ; address of global hash table
    // mov	rax, qword ptr [rsi]                ; read vptr of 'b'
    // imul	r9, qword ptr [rax - 8]             ; multiply b.vptr[-1] (&typeid(b)) by M

    // mov	rax, qword ptr [r8 + 8*r10]         ; method table for 'a'
    // shr	r9, cl                              ; index of method table for 'b'

    // mov	rcx, qword ptr [rip + method+96]    ; offset of 'meet' in method table for 'a'

    // mov	r10, qword ptr [rax + 8*rcx]        ; pointer to row for 'a' in dispatch table
    // mov	rcx, qword ptr [r8 + 8*r9]          ; method table for 'b'
    // mov	rax, qword ptr [rip + method+104]   ; offset of 'meet' in method table for 'b'

    // mov	rax, qword ptr [rcx + 8*rax]        ; column of 'b' in dispatch table

    // imul	rax, qword ptr [rip + method+112]   ; multiply by # of lines in dispatch table

    // mov	rax, qword ptr [r10 + 8*rax]        ; pointer to function, at dispatch[a][b]

    // jmp	rax                                 ; tail call
}