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| <title>Serialization - Proposed Case Studies</title> |
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| <h1 align="center">Serialization</h1> |
| <h2 align="center">Proposed Case Studies</h2> |
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| <hr> |
| <dl class="index"> |
| <dt><a href="#functionobject">Serializing a Function Object</a></dt> |
| <dt><a href="#archiveadaptor">Archive Adaptors</a></dt> |
| <dt><a href="#archivehelper">Archive Helpers</a></dt> |
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| |
| These are not part of the library itself, but rather |
| techiques on how to use the library to address specific situations. |
| |
| <h2><a name="functionobject"></a>Serializing a Function Object</h2> |
| An example on how to serialize a function object. I believe this |
| could be done by serializing pointer to the object in question. Since |
| the Serialization library resurrects pointer of the correct type |
| this should be easily implementable. |
| <p> |
| If a group of function objects were all derived from the |
| same polymorphic base class - perhaps via multiple inheritance, |
| the the function object effectively becomes a "variable" which |
| encapsulates code. |
| <p> |
| This case study would show how to do this. |
| |
| <h2><a name="archiveadaptor"></a>Archive Adaptors</h2> |
| |
| Often users want to add their own special functionality to an |
| existing archive. Examples of this are performance enhancements |
| for specific types, Adjustment of output syntax for xml archives, |
| and logging/debug output as archives are written and/or read. |
| If this functionalty is implemented as an "adaptor" template |
| which takes the base class as a template argument, such functionality |
| appended to any archive for which that funtionality makes sense. |
| For example, an adaptor for generating an xml schema could be |
| appended to both wide narrow character versions of xml archives. |
| <p> |
| This case study would show how to make a useful archive adaptor. |
| |
| <h2><a name="archivehelper"></a>Archive Helpers</h2> |
| Some types are not serializable as they stand. That is - they |
| do not fullfill the requirements of the "Serializable Concept". |
| The iconic example of this is boost::shared_ptr. Sometimes |
| these types could be made serializable by adding code inside |
| the library. Of course, doing that would create a lifetime |
| of unpaid employment for the library author. Rather than |
| adding a bunch of special code to the library itself, this |
| code can packaged as a "helper" or "mix-in" class. Then |
| a new archive is derived from both the "base" archive class |
| AND the "helper" class. This is how boost::shared_ptr |
| has been implemented. |
| <p> |
| It would also be possible to make a "generic runtime helper" |
| which would effectively extend the API of the library. Previously |
| the library included such a helper class. It was removed |
| in favor of the current implementation. But this functionality |
| should be added back in with another adaptor which would |
| become part of the library. |
| |
| <hr> |
| <p>Revised 1 November, 2008 |
| <p><i>© Copyright <a href="http://www.rrsd.com">Robert Ramey</a> 2002-2008. |
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