source: orxonox.OLD/orxonox/trunk/src/lib/lang/class_list.h @ 4874

/*!
    \file class_list.h
  *  Definition of the Class List, that handles a Class-Specific-Control structure

 */

#ifndef _CLASS_LIST_H
#define _CLASS_LIST_H

#include "class_id.h"

// FORWARD DEFINITION
class BaseObject;
template<class T> class tList;


//! A class that handles Pointers to Objects of all type.
/**
 * here all the Pointers to all the Object of orxonox are stored, that implement BaseObject
 * for now.
 * You can get Any Object's Reference to BaseObject with dynamic_cast<T>(ClassList::getObject(name, CL_T_NAME));
 *  where: T: is the Class to cast to,
 *   name: the name of the Object (not className)
 *   CL_T_NAME: the class Identifier, (if CL_NULL or nothing it will take longer, because all BaseObject's are searched through)
 *
 * There is also the exists-function, that just checks, if a Reference is still in existence.
 *
 * @see ClassID, BaseObject, dynamic_cast
 */
class ClassList {

  public:
    ClassList(const long& classID, const char* className);
    virtual ~ClassList();

    // STATIC FUNCTIONS
    static void               addToClassList(BaseObject* objectPointer, const long& classID, const char* className);
    static void               removeFromClassList(BaseObject* objectPointer);

    static tList<BaseObject>* getList(long classID = CL_NULL);
    static BaseObject*        getObject(const char* name, long classID = CL_NULL);
    static bool               exists(const BaseObject* object, long classID = CL_NULL);

    static void               whatIs(const BaseObject* object);
    static void debug(unsigned int debugLevel = 0, long classID = CL_NULL);

  private:
    tList<BaseObject>*       objectList;             //!< A list of Objects belonging to this Class

    long                     classID;                //!< ClassID stored in this ClassList \see ClassID
    const char*              className;              //!< Name of the Class Stored here

    ClassList*               next;                   //!< Pointer to the next class in the List

    // STATIC MEMBERS
    static ClassList*        first;                  //!< The first Class in the List
    static unsigned int      classCount;             //!< The Count of classes that have been registered (should match the lower description)
};

#endif /* _CLASS_LIST_H */