How a MFC class can support RTTI?
Run-Time Type Information/RTTI
Run-Time Type Information is a property to identify the name or type of an object at runtime. C++ object usually do not contain type information. Run-Time Type Information is the name or type in the class. This helps to idetify the type as well as the hierarchil parent child relationship.
Run-Time Type Information is essential for client server applications where clients connect to server and passes object pointer to server. Server and clients are decoupled and developed seperately. Server should examine the objects provided by clients before processing them. Client can pass any type of object at runtime. Server sould examine Run-Time Type Information to check the type and the parent type if it is devived correctly. Object pointer contain a correct memory layout, size and vTable pointer when it is derived correctly otherwise server may crash while accessing members or calling virtual functions. Server should throw error to client if correct object is not provided. Hence Run-Time Type Information (RTTI) support s essential and introduced in MFC introduced in MFC 4.0.
RTTI macros
An MFC object should be able to hold RTTI information if the type class is derived from CObject and following of the macro pair is used in declaration and definition.- DECLARE_DYNAMIC and IMPLEMENT_DYNAMIC,
- DECLARE_DYNCREATE and IMPLEMENT_DYNCREATE,
- DECLARE_SERIAL and IMPLEMENT_SERIAL
RTTI demo object validation
class CUnknownObj : public CObject
{
DECLARE_DYNAMIC(CUnknownObj)
};
IMPLEMENT_DYNAMIC( CUnknownObj, CObject )
class CDrawObj : public CObject
{
virtual void Draw(void) = 0;
DECLARE_DYNAMIC(CDrawObj)
};
IMPLEMENT_DYNAMIC( CDrawObj, CObject )
class CRectangle : public CDrawObj
{
virtual void Draw(void);
DECLARE_DYNAMIC(CRectangle)
};
IMPLEMENT_DYNAMIC( CRectangle, CDrawObj )
void CRectangle::Draw(void)
{
cout << "Draw Rect";
}
class CCircle : public CDrawObj
{
virtual void Draw(void);
DECLARE_DYNAMIC(CCircle)
};
IMPLEMENT_DYNAMIC( CCircle, CDrawObj )
void CCircle::Draw(void)
{
cout << "Draw Circle";
}
/* Client side code */
CObject *GetObjectFromUser(char *ClassName)
{
if(strcmp(ClassName, "CRectangle") == 0)
return new CRectangle();
else if(strcmp(ClassName, "CCircle") == 0)
return new CCircle();
else if(strcmp(ClassName, "CUnknown") == 0)
return new CUnknownObj;
}
int _tmain(int argc, TCHAR* argv[], TCHAR* envp[])
{
int nRetCode = 0;
// initialize MFC and print and error on failure
if (!AfxWinInit(::GetModuleHandle(NULL), NULL, ::GetCommandLine(), 0))
{
// TODO: change error code to suit your needs
cerr << _T("Fatal Error: MFC initialization failed") << endl;
nRetCode = 1;
}
else
{
cout << "Server side object validation " << endl;
/* Validate CRectangle object */
CObject *obj = GetObjectFromUser("CRectangle");
// TODO: code your application's behavior here.
cout << "CRectangle is IsKindOf " << endl;
if(obj->IsKindOf(RUNTIME_CLASS(CObject))!=0)
cout <<"CObject " << endl;
if(obj->IsKindOf(RUNTIME_CLASS(CDrawObj))!=0)
cout <<"CDrawObj " << endl;
if(obj->IsKindOf(RUNTIME_CLASS(CRectangle))!=0)
cout <<"CRectangle " << endl;
if(obj->IsKindOf(RUNTIME_CLASS(CCircle))!=0)
cout <<"CCircle " << endl;
cout << endl;
/* Validate CCircle object */
CObject *obj1 = GetObjectFromUser("CCircle");
cout << "CCircle is IsKindOf "<< endl;
if(obj1->IsKindOf(RUNTIME_CLASS(CObject))!=0)
cout <<"CObject " << endl;
if(obj1->IsKindOf(RUNTIME_CLASS(CDrawObj))!=0)
cout <<"CDrawObj " << endl;
if(obj1->IsKindOf(RUNTIME_CLASS(CRectangle))!=0)
cout <<"CRectangle " << endl;
if(obj1->IsKindOf(RUNTIME_CLASS(CCircle))!=0)
cout <<"CCircle " << endl;
cout << endl;
/* Validate CUnknown object */
CObject *obj2 = GetObjectFromUser("CUnknown");
cout << "CUnknown is IsKindOf "<< endl;
if(obj2->IsKindOf(RUNTIME_CLASS(CObject))!=0)
cout <<"CObject " << endl;
if(obj2->IsKindOf(RUNTIME_CLASS(CDrawObj))!=0)
cout <<"CDrawObj " << endl;
if(obj2->IsKindOf(RUNTIME_CLASS(CRectangle))!=0)
cout <<"CRectangle " << endl;
if(obj2->IsKindOf(RUNTIME_CLASS(CCircle))!=0)
cout <<"CCircle " << endl;
}
return nRetCode;
}
Program output
Server side object validation CRectangle is IsKindOf CObject CDrawObj CRectangle CCircle is IsKindOf CObject CDrawObj CCircle CUnknown is IsKindOf CObject Press any key to continue
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