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Tuesday Morning
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| 46 | Meta-Classes in C++ - Reflection for Existing Classes Detlef Vollmann, Vollmann Engineering |
Colorado Convention Center - C107  |
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Reflection is a programming technique for object-oriented architectures to provide better extensibility of a system (especially at run-time) and a means of providing uniform generic behavior (such as persistency). While languages like Smalltalk and Java provide built-in mechanisms for reflection, C++ lacks such a provision. Though several well-known patterns exist for implementing reflection through a metaobject protocol in C++, they typically require the usage of this protocol for all access to the real (non-meta) classes, thus forcing an unnatural style of programming. This tutorial presents some lesser known C++ constructs that can be used to provide meta-class facilities to existing normal C++ classes, enabling both normal direct access and reflective access to these classes. Participants will acquire a thorough understanding of the potentials of reflective programming techniques and some patterns to implement them effectively in C++.
Attendee Background: Participants should have a good working knowledge of ISO C++. Advanced features of the language used in this tutorial will be explained. Detlef Vollmann has a background of 15 years in software engineering and more than 10 years with object technology. As an independent consultant he supports several swiss companies with the design of object-oriented systems. Since 1991, he has authored and taught courses in C++, Object-Oriented Technologies, Software Architecture and Distributed Computing for the Swiss Digicomp AG. |
