Creating derived class instance using base class instance - c++

Question

I have a base class instance, there is a derived class that inherits from the base class, I want to transform the base instance into derived instance, (if possible without copying anything (maybe sending to the derived class a reference of the base class)) how can I achieve that?
Note: I need this because I'm using factory design pattern which identify the derived class needed to be created using a parameter located in the base instance.
//class A
//class B: public A (pure virtual)
//class C: public B
B BFactory::makeB(A &a) {
int n=a.getN();
if(n==1){
return new C();
}
}
Thanks.

Answer 1

Consider the case of the car.
You can treat a Lamborghini as a car.
You can treat a Yugo as a car.
You can treat a car as a Lamborghini if it is a Lamborghini. In C++ this means a pointer to car that really points to a Lamborghini. In order to get a Lamborghini pointer back out of the car pointer you should use dynamic_cast. If the car does not point to a Lamborghini, dynamic_cast will return NULL. This keeps you from trying to pass off a Yugo as a Lamborghini and blowing the Yugo's engine.
But when the Lamborghini is being treated as a car, it can only do car things. If you copy a Lamborghini into a car, you strip out all Lamborghini-ness forever. It's gone.
Code time!
This, I'm afraid cannot be done:
//class A
//class B: public A (pure virtual)
//class C: public B
B BFactory::makeB(A &a) {
int n=a.getN();
if(n==1){
return new C();
}
}
C is being copied into a B and the B is being returned. B would need a constructor that took a C, but the point is moot. B cannot be instantiated if it's pure virtual. For now we'll ignore the leak that would be new C()
Also can't use a reference for this job, pretty much the same problem, so you're trapped into returning a pointer
B * BFactory::makeB(A &a) {
int n=a.getN();
if(n==1){
return new C();
}
}
Now I'm going to make a suggestion: Build the make function into B and handle the case where A doesn't map to anything recognized by B.
class B: public A
{
public:
virtual ~B(){}
static B * makeB(A & a)
{
switch(a.getN())
{
case 1:
return new C();
}
return NULL;
}
};
But this leads to another recommendation: Why should B know anything? And What is the point of A at this level? Why is A storing build codes for classes two or more steps down the hierarchy? Bad from a maintenance point of view. The point of objects is they know who they are and how to manipulate themselves. Short-circuiting this leads to pain.
class B: public A
{
public:
virtual ~B(){}
virtual B* makeB() = 0;
};
Now B only makes Bs, needs no help from A, and those who extend B are stuck with figuring out how to make themselves--a task they should know better than anyone else. Much safer because there is never any possibility of a code unrecognised by B for a new class.
class C: public B
{
public:
B* makeB()
{
return new C();
}
};
class D: public B
{
public:
B* makeB()
{
return new D();
}
};
Edit: Traditional factory
You're asking for an abstract factory. For that you need nothing. You don't even need a class. You certainly don't need a class A. The goal of this sort of factory is the caller knows nothing about the class. By providing an A, the caller needs to know how to make an A or have another factory that makes an A.
First a bit of set-up in a header file BFactory.h:
#ifndef BFACTORY_H_
#define BFACTORY_H_
#include <exception>
class B
{
public:
virtual ~B(){}
virtual std::string whatAmI() = 0;
protected:
// data members common to all B subclasses
};
enum bType
{
gimmie_a_C,
gimmie_a_D,
gimmie_an_E
};
class BadTypeException: public std::exception
{
public:
const char* what() const noexcept
{
return "Dude! WTF?!?";
}
};
B* BFactory(enum bType type);
#endif /* BFACTORY_H_ */
Here I'm going to deviate from the book way a little. Rather than using an integer to identify the type to be built, I'm going to use an enum. Two reasons: Easier to read and understand gimme_a_C than 1 and generates a compiler error if you try to provide a value that is not enumerated.
enum bType
{
gimmie_a_C,
gimmie_a_D,
gimmie_an_E
};
And an exception to flag stupidity if the enum is updated with new types (gimmie_an_E) but the factory is not.
class BadTypeException: public std::exception
{
public:
const char* what() const noexcept
{
return "Dude! WTF?!?";
}
};
This is all the Factory client needs to see. They don't see C. They don't see D. They have no clue that C and D exist in any way other than the names listed in enum bType. All they ever see is pointers to B.
Now for the implementation BFactory.cpp:
#include "BFactory.h"
class C:public B
{
std::string whatAmI()
{
return "C";
}
};
class D:public B
{
std::string whatAmI()
{
return "D";
}
};
B* BFactory(enum bType type)
{
switch(type)
{
case gimmie_a_C:
return new C();
case gimmie_a_D:
return new C();
default:
throw BadTypeException();
}
}
I'll leave it up to the reader to spot the stupid bug in the above code that makes these error prone and why I don't like them.
And usage, main.cpp:
#include "BFactory.h"
int main()
{
B * temp;
temp = BFactory(gimmie_a_C);
std::cout << temp->whatAmI() << std::endl;
delete temp;
temp = BFactory(gimmie_a_D);
std::cout << temp->whatAmI() << std::endl;
delete temp;
//temp = BFactory(1001); // won't compile
try
{
temp = BFactory(gimmie_an_E); // will compile, throws exception
std::cout << temp->whatAmI() << std::endl;
}
catch(BadTypeException& wtf)
{
std::cerr << wtf.what() << std::endl;
}
}
There is still absolutely no use for or involvement of A. A if it exists, should no nothing about B or the children of B.
These days there is a little improvement we can make so that the pointers are a little safer. unique_ptr allows us to maintain the polymporphic advantages of a pointer to B without the memory management woes.
std::unique_ptr<B> BFactory(enum bType type)
{
switch(type)
{
case gimmie_a_C:
return std::unique_ptr<B>(new C());
case gimmie_a_D:
return std::unique_ptr<B>(new D());
default:
throw BadTypeException();
}
}
and the new main:
int main()
{
std::unique_ptr<B> temp;
temp = BFactory(gimmie_a_C);
std::cout << temp->whatAmI() << std::endl;
temp = BFactory(gimmie_a_D);
std::cout << temp->whatAmI() << std::endl;
}

Answer 2

You might want to define a constructor that takes the base class instance as the argument so you can later use static_cast to convert from the base class to the derived class.
class Derived : public Base
{
public:
Derived(const Base& base) : Base{base} {}
};
int main()
{
Base a;
Derived b = static_cast<Derived>(a);
}
If you want to create a derived class instance using the base class instance then there is some conversion rule between the two, which you can specify explicitly using a derived class constructor.

Answer 3

Although it is impossible to alter the type of an object you still can make instances of base and derived classes share the same data:
#include <memory>
#include <iostream>
class Base
{
protected:
struct CommonData
{
int A;
int B;
};
std::shared_ptr<CommonData> m_data;
public:
Base() : m_data(std::make_shared<CommonData>())
{
m_data->A = 0;
m_data->B = 0;
}
void SetData(Base * source)
{
m_data = source->m_data;
}
int A() const { return m_data->A; }
int B() const { return m_data->B; }
void SetA(int value) { m_data->A = value; }
void SetB(int value) { m_data->B = value; }
};
class Derived : public Base
{
public:
int C;
};
using namespace std;
int _tmain(int argc, _TCHAR* argv[])
{
Base base;
base.SetA(12);
base.SetB(46);
Derived derived;
derived.SetData(&base);
derived.C = 555;
cout << derived.A() << endl; // 12
cout << derived.C << endl; // 555;
cin.get();
}

Answer 4

A base class should not "know" about how to make its own derived class instances. That is the point of inheritance.
The "is a" relationship of derived classes means that any subclass instance will pass as a base class instance transparently, and you can treat it as one, and by default base class non-virtual methods are called on a base class reference, even if it a derived class instance. Only virtual methods use the derived class method.
In the case of creating a base class instance from a derived class you want to "slice" the instance data (normally a bad thing and normally a mistake).
class A{ // ... A stuff };
class B : A
{ // ... B stuff
A make_A() { return (A) B(*this); } // copy cast to A
};
Under no circumstances try to do this:
class B;
class A { // ...
B make_B() { return B(*this); }
};
That is inverted OO logic. It requires at least 2 scans of the source code, which C++ does not do. It fails.