How to dynamically register class in a factory class at runtime period with c++
Now, I implemented a factory class to dynamically create class with a idenification string, please see the following code:
void IOFactory::registerIO()
{
Register("NDAM9020", []() -> IOBase * {
return new NDAM9020();
});
Register("BK5120", []() -> IOBase * {
return new BK5120();
});
}
std::unique_ptr<IOBase> IOFactory::createIO(std::string ioDeviceName)
{
std::unique_ptr<IOBase> io = createObject(ioDeviceName);
return io;
}
So we can create the IO class with the registered name:
IOFactory ioFactory;
auto io = ioFactory.createIO("BK5120");
The problem with this method is if we add another IO component, we should add another register code in registerIO function and compile the whole project again. So I was wondering if I could dynamically register class from a configure file(see below) at runtime.
io_factory.conf
------------------
NDAM9020:NDAM9020
BK5120:BK5120
------------------
The first is identification name and the second is class name.
I have tried with Macros, but the parameter in Macros cann't be string. So I was wondering if there is some other ways. Thanks for advance.
Update:
I didn't expect so many comments and answers, Thank you all and sorry for replying late.
Our current OS is Ubuntu16.04 and we use the builtin compiler that is gcc/g++5.4.0, and we use CMake to manage the build.
And I should mention that it is not a must that I should register class at runtime period, it is also OK if there is a way to do this in compile period. What I want is just avoiding the recompiling when I want to register another class.
So I was wondering if I could dynamically register class from a configure file(see below) at runtime.
No. As of C++20, C++ has no reflection features allowing it. But you could do it at compile time by generating a simple C++ implementation file from your configuration file.
How to dynamically register class in a factory class at runtime period with c++
Read much more about C++, at least a good C++ programming book and see a good C++ reference website, and later n3337, the C++11 standard. Read also the documentation of your C++ compiler (perhaps GCC or Clang), and, if you have one, of your operating system. If plugins are possible in your OS, you can register a factory function at runtime (by referring to to that function after a plugin providing it has been loaded). For examples, the Mozilla firefox browser or recent GCC compilers (e.g. GCC 10 with plugins enabled), or the fish shell, are doing this.
So I was wondering if I could dynamically register class from a configure file(see below) at runtime.
Most C++ programs are running under an operating system, such as Linux. Some operating systems provide a plugin mechanism. For Linux, see dlopen(3), dlsym(3), dlclose(3), dladdr(3) and the C++ dlopen mini-howto. For Windows, dive into its documentation.
So, with a recent C++ implementation and some recent operating systems, y ou can register at runtime a factory class (using plugins), and you could find libraries (e.g. Qt or POCO) to help you.
However, in pure standard C++, the set of translation units is statically known and plugins do not exist. So the set of functions, lambda-expressions, or classes in a given program is finite and does not change with time.
In pure C++, the set of valid function pointers, or the set of valid possible values for a given std::function variable, is finite. Anything else is undefined behavior. In practice, many real-life C++ programs accept plugins thru their operating systems or JIT-compiling libraries.
You could of course consider using JIT-compiling libraries such as asmjit or libgccjit or LLVM. They are implementation specific, so your code won't be portable.
On Linux, a lot of Qt or GTKmm applications (e.g. KDE, and most web browsers, e.g. Konqueror, Chrome, or Firefox) are coded in C++ and do load plugins with factory functions. Check with strace(1) and ltrace(1).
The Trident web browser of MicroSoft is rumored to be coded in C++ and probably accepts plugins.
I have tried with Macros, but the parameter in Macros can't be string.
A macro parameter can be stringized. And you could play x-macros tricks.
What I want is just avoiding the recompiling when I want to register another class.
On Ubuntu, I recommend accepting plugins in your program or library
Use dlopen(3) with an absolute file path; the plugin would typically be passed as a program option (like RefPerSys does, or like GCC does) and dlopen-ed at program or library initialization time. Practically speaking, you can have lots of plugins (dozen of thousands, see manydl.c and check with pmap(1) or proc(5)). The dlsym(3)-ed C++ functions in your plugins should be declared extern "C" to disable name mangling.
A single C++ file plugin (in yourplugin.cc) can be compiled with g++ -Wall -O -g -fPIC -shared yourplugin.cc -o yourplugin.so and later you would dlopen "./yourplugin.so" or an absolute path (or configure suitably your $LD_LIBRARY_PATH -see ld.so(8)- and pass "yourplugin.so" to dlopen). Be also aware of Rpath.
Consider also (after upgrading your GCC to GCC 9 at least, perhaps by compiling it from its source code) using libgccjit (it is faster than generating temporary C++ code in some file and compiling that file into a temporary plugin).
For ease of debugging your loaded plugins, you might be interested by Ian Taylor's libbacktrace.
Notice that your program's global symbols (declared as extern "C") can be accessed by name by passing a nullptr file path to dlopen(3), then using dlsym(3) on the obtained handle. You want to pass -rdynamic -ldl when linking your program (or your shared library).
What I want is just avoiding the recompiling when I want to register another class.
You might registering classes in a different translation unit (a short one, presumably). You could take inspiration from RefPerSys multiple #include-s of its generated/rps-name.hh file. Then you would simply recompile a single *.cc file and relink your entire program or library. Notice that Qt plays similar tricks in its moc, and I recommend taking inspiration from it.
Read also J.Pitrat's book on Artificial Beings: the Conscience of a Conscious Machine ISBN which explains why a metaprogramming approach is useful. Study the source code of GCC (or of RefPerSys), use or take inspiration from SWIG, ANTLR, GNU bison (they all generate C++ code) when relevant
You seem to have asked for more dynamism than you actually need. You want to avoid the factory itself having to be aware of all of the classes registered in it.
Well, that's doable without going all the way runtime code generation!
There are several implementations of such a factory; but I am obviously biased in favor of my own: einpoklum's Factory class (gist.github.com)
simple example of use:
#include "Factory.h"
// we now have:
//
// template<typename Key, typename BaseClass, typename... ConstructionArgs>
// class Factory;
//
#include <string>
struct Foo { Foo(int x) { }; }
struct Bar : Foo { Bar(int x) : Foo(x) { }; }
int main()
{
util::Factory<std::string, Foo, int> factory;
factory.registerClass<Bar>("key_for_bar");
auto* my_bar_ptr factory.produce("key_for_bar");
}
Notes:
- The
std::stringis used as a key; you could have a factory with numeric values as keys instead, if you like. - All registered classes must be subclasses of the
BaseClassvalue chosen for the factory. I believe you can change the factory to avoid that, but then you'll always be gettingvoid *s from it. - You can wrap this in a singleton template to get a single, global, static-initialization-safe factory you can use from anywhere.
Now, if you load some plugin dynamically (see @BasileStarynkevitch's answer), you just need that plugin to expose an initialization function which makes registerClass() class calls on the factory; and call this initialization function right after loading the plugin. Or if you have a static-initialization safe singleton factory, you can make the registration calls in a static-block in your plugin shared library - but be careful with that, I'm not an expert on shared library loading.