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/*
 * Copyright (C) 2007-2013 Xagasoft, All rights reserved.
 *
 * This file is part of the libbu++ library and is released under the
 * terms of the license contained in the file LICENSE.
 */

#ifndef BU_SHARED_CORE_H
#define BU_SHARED_CORE_H

#include "bu/util.h"

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdarg.h>

namespace Bu
{
    /**
     * A mechanism for creating classes that perform lazy copies.  The concept
     * behind this is that instead of copying a large object when it is assigned
     * or passed into a copy constructor we simply copy a pointer internally.
     * The assumption is that many times when an object is passed by value we
     * don't really want to keep the object around, we want the recipient to
     * take ownership without allocating a new object.  This allows that to
     * happen.
     *
     * When used properly this makes object copying essentially free (O(1),
     * that is) and performs the actual copy when a user tries to modify the
     * object.
     *
     * For example, lets look at something like the getKeys function in
     * Bu::Hash.  When this function is called it creates a Bu::List of
     * appropriate type, fills it with keys, and returns it.  This is a good
     * way for this function to behave, there may be additional issues if the
     * List object were allocated with new and not on the stack.  However,
     * returning the List at the end of the function could potentially take
     * a very long time depending on the size of the list and the type of the
     * key.  In this case the getKeys function doesn't want ownership of the
     * List object, and when it returns it, it's local copy will be destroyed.
     *
     * However, List inherits from SharedCore, which means that when it is
     * returned all we do is copy a pointer to the "core" of the list, which
     * is a very fast operatorion.  For a brief moment, before anyone can do
     * anything else, there are two objects referencing the core of that single
     * list.  However, the getKeys() function will destroy it's local copy
     * before the calling function can use it's new copy.  That means that by
     * the time the calling function can use it's new List of keys it is the
     * only one with a reference to the core, and no copy will need to happen.
     *
     * Using SharedCore on your own classes is fairly straight forward.  There
     * are only a couple of steps.  First, break the class into two classes.
     * Move every variable from the original class (generally everything that's
     * private) into the new class.  Then make the original class inherit from
     * SharedCore.  The SharedCore template takes 2 parameters, first is the
     * class it's inheriting from, second is the new core class.  Now, in your
     * original class you will have one class variable, a pointer named core.
     * All of your original variables will be accessable through core.  The next
     * step is to access everything you used to through core, and to find 
     * every function that may change data in the core.  At the top of every
     * function that may change data you want to call _hardCopy().
     *
     * That's more or less it.  A more detailed guide will be written soon.
     * @todo Write a guide for this.
     */
    template<typename Shell, typename Core>
    class SharedCore
    {
        typedef class SharedCore<Shell, Core> _SharedType;
    public:
        SharedCore() :
            core( NULL ),
            iRefCount( NULL )
        {
            core = _allocateCore();
            iRefCount = new int(1);
        }

        SharedCore( const _SharedType &rSrc ) :
            core( NULL ),
            iRefCount( NULL )
        {
            _softCopy( rSrc );
        }

        virtual ~SharedCore()
        {
            _deref();
        }

        SharedCore &operator=( const SharedCore &rhs )
        {
            if( core == rhs.core )
                return *this;

            _softCopy( rhs );
            return *this;
        }

        int getRefCount() const
        {
            return *iRefCount;
        }

        Shell clone() const
        {
            Shell s( dynamic_cast<const Shell &>(*this) );
            dynamic_cast<_SharedType &>(s)._hardCopy();
            return s;
        }

        bool isCoreShared( const Shell &rOther ) const
        {
            return dynamic_cast<const _SharedType &>(rOther).core == core;
        }

    protected:
        Core *core;
        void _hardCopy()
        {
            if( !core || !iRefCount )
                return;
            if( (*iRefCount) == 1 )
                return;
            Core *copy = _copyCore( core );
            _deref();
            core = copy;
            iRefCount = new int( 1 );
        }

        /**
         * Reset core acts like a hard copy, except instead of providing a
         * standalone copy of the shared core, it provides a brand new core.
         *
         * Very useful in functions used to reset the state of an object.
         */
        void _resetCore()
        {
            if( core )
                _deref();
            core = _allocateCore();
            iRefCount = new int( 1 );
        }

        virtual Core *_allocateCore()
        {
            return new Core();
        }

        virtual Core *_copyCore( Core *pSrc )
        {
            return new Core( *pSrc );
        }

        virtual void _deallocateCore( Core *pSrc )
        {
            delete pSrc;
        }

    private:
        void _deref()
        {
            if( (--(*iRefCount)) == 0 )
            {
                _deallocateCore( core );
                delete iRefCount;
            }
            core = NULL;
            iRefCount = NULL;
        }

        void _incRefCount()
        {
            if( iRefCount && core )
                ++(*iRefCount);
        }

        void _softCopy( const _SharedType &rSrc )
        {
            if( core )
                _deref();
            core = rSrc.core;
            iRefCount = rSrc.iRefCount;
            _incRefCount();
        }

        int *iRefCount;
    };
};

#undef fin
#undef fout

#endif