trunk/Examples/ruby/class/index.html - third_party/swig - Git at Google

 <html>
 <head>
 <title>SWIG:Examples:ruby:class</title>
 </head>

 <body bgcolor="#ffffff">


 <tt>SWIG/Examples/ruby/class/</tt>
 <hr>

 <H2>Wrapping a simple C++ class</H2>

 <p>
 This example illustrates C++ class wrapping performed by SWIG.
 C++ classes are simply transformed into Ruby classes that provide methods to
 access class members.

 <h2>The C++ Code</h2>

 Suppose you have some C++ classes described by the following (and admittedly lame)
 header file:

 <blockquote>
 <pre>
 /* File : example.h */

 class Shape {
 public:
   Shape() {
     nshapes++;
   }
   virtual ~Shape() {
     nshapes--;
   };
   double  x, y;
   void    move(double dx, double dy);
   virtual double area() = 0;
   virtual double perimeter() = 0;
   static  int nshapes;
 };

 class Circle : public Shape {
 private:
   double radius;
 public:
   Circle(double r) : radius(r) { };
   virtual double area();
   virtual double perimeter();
 };

 class Square : public Shape {
 private:
   double width;
 public:
   Square(double w) : width(w) { };
   virtual double area();
   virtual double perimeter();
 };
 </pre>
 </blockquote>

 <h2>The SWIG interface</h2>

 A simple SWIG interface for this can be built by simply grabbing the header file
 like this:

 <blockquote>
 <pre>
 /* File : example.i */
 %module example

 %{
 #include "example.h"
 %}

 /* Let's just grab the original header file here */
 %include "example.h"
 </pre>
 </blockquote>

 Note: when creating a C++ extension, you must run SWIG with the <tt>-c++</tt> option like this:
 <blockquote>
 <pre>
 % swig -c++ -ruby example.i
 </pre>
 </blockquote>

 <h2>A sample Ruby script</h2>

 Click <a href="runme.rb">here</a> to see a script that calls the C++ functions from Ruby.

 <h2>Key points</h2>

 <ul>
 <li>To create a new object, you call a constructor like this:

 <blockquote>
 <pre>
 c = Example::Circle.new(10)
 </pre>
 </blockquote>

 <p>
 <li>To access member data, a pair of accessor methods are used.
 For example:

 <blockquote>
 <pre>
 c.x = 15    # Set member data
 x = c.x     # Get member data
 </pre>
 </blockquote>

 <p>
 <li>To invoke a member function, you simply do this

 <blockquote>
 <pre>
 print "The area is ", c.area, "\n"
 </pre>
 </blockquote>

 <p>
 <li>When a instance of Ruby level wrapper class is garbage collected by
 Ruby interpreter, the corresponding C++ destructor is automatically invoked.
 (Note: destructors are currently not inherited. This might change later.
 Until then, use <tt>-make_default</tt>).

 <p>
 <li>Static member variables are wrapped as Ruby class accessor methods.
 For example:

 <blockquote>
 <pre>
 n = Shape.nshapes     # Get a static data member
 Shapes.nshapes = 13   # Set a static data member
 </pre>
 </blockquote>

 </ul>

 <h2>General Comments</h2>

 <ul>
 <li>Ruby module of SWIG differs from other language modules in wrapping C++
 interfaces.  They provides lower-level interfaces and optional higher-level
 interfaces know as proxy classes.  Ruby module needs no such redundancy
 due to Ruby's sophisticated extension API.

 <p>
 <li>SWIG *does* know how to properly perform upcasting of objects in
 an inheritance hierarchy except for multiple inheritance.

 <p>
 <li>A wide variety of C++ features are not currently supported by SWIG.  Here is the
 short and incomplete list:

 <p>
 <ul>
 <li>Overloaded methods and functions.  SWIG wrappers don't know how to resolve name
 conflicts so you must give an alternative name to any overloaded method name using the
 %name directive like this:

 <blockquote>
 <pre>
 void foo(int a);
 %name(foo2) void foo(double a, double b);
 </pre>
 </blockquote>

 <p>
 <li>Overloaded operators.  Not supported at all. The only workaround for this is
 to write a helper function. For example:

 <blockquote>
 <pre>
 %inline %{
     Vector *vector_add(Vector *a, Vector *b) {
           ... whatever ...
     }
 %}
 </pre>
 </blockquote>

 <p>
 <li>Namespaces.  Not supported at all. Won't be supported until SWIG2.0 (if at all).

 </ul>
 <p>

 <li>Dave's snide remark: Like a large bottle of strong Tequilla, it's better to
 use C++	in moderation.

 </ul>

 <hr>
 </body>
 </html>
	<html>
	<head>
	<title>SWIG:Examples:ruby:class</title>
	</head>

	<body bgcolor="#ffffff">


	<tt>SWIG/Examples/ruby/class/</tt>
	<hr>

	<H2>Wrapping a simple C++ class</H2>

	<p>
	This example illustrates C++ class wrapping performed by SWIG.
	C++ classes are simply transformed into Ruby classes that provide methods to
	access class members.

	<h2>The C++ Code</h2>

	Suppose you have some C++ classes described by the following (and admittedly lame)
	header file:

	<blockquote>
	<pre>
	/* File : example.h */

	class Shape {
	public:
	Shape() {
	nshapes++;
	}
	virtual ~Shape() {
	nshapes--;
	};
	double x, y;
	void move(double dx, double dy);
	virtual double area() = 0;
	virtual double perimeter() = 0;
	static int nshapes;
	};

	class Circle : public Shape {
	private:
	double radius;
	public:
	Circle(double r) : radius(r) { };
	virtual double area();
	virtual double perimeter();
	};

	class Square : public Shape {
	private:
	double width;
	public:
	Square(double w) : width(w) { };
	virtual double area();
	virtual double perimeter();
	};
	</pre>
	</blockquote>

	<h2>The SWIG interface</h2>

	A simple SWIG interface for this can be built by simply grabbing the header file
	like this:

	<blockquote>
	<pre>
	/* File : example.i */
	%module example

	%{
	#include "example.h"
	%}

	/* Let's just grab the original header file here */
	%include "example.h"
	</pre>
	</blockquote>

	Note: when creating a C++ extension, you must run SWIG with the <tt>-c++</tt> option like this:
	<blockquote>
	<pre>
	% swig -c++ -ruby example.i
	</pre>
	</blockquote>

	<h2>A sample Ruby script</h2>

	Click <a href="runme.rb">here</a> to see a script that calls the C++ functions from Ruby.

	<h2>Key points</h2>

	<ul>
	<li>To create a new object, you call a constructor like this:

	<blockquote>
	<pre>
	c = Example::Circle.new(10)
	</pre>
	</blockquote>

	<p>
	<li>To access member data, a pair of accessor methods are used.
	For example:

	<blockquote>
	<pre>
	c.x = 15 # Set member data
	x = c.x # Get member data
	</pre>
	</blockquote>

	<p>
	<li>To invoke a member function, you simply do this

	<blockquote>
	<pre>
	print "The area is ", c.area, "\n"
	</pre>
	</blockquote>

	<p>
	<li>When a instance of Ruby level wrapper class is garbage collected by
	Ruby interpreter, the corresponding C++ destructor is automatically invoked.
	(Note: destructors are currently not inherited. This might change later.
	Until then, use <tt>-make_default</tt>).

	<p>
	<li>Static member variables are wrapped as Ruby class accessor methods.
	For example:

	<blockquote>
	<pre>
	n = Shape.nshapes # Get a static data member
	Shapes.nshapes = 13 # Set a static data member
	</pre>
	</blockquote>

	</ul>

	<h2>General Comments</h2>

	<ul>
	<li>Ruby module of SWIG differs from other language modules in wrapping C++
	interfaces. They provides lower-level interfaces and optional higher-level
	interfaces know as proxy classes. Ruby module needs no such redundancy
	due to Ruby's sophisticated extension API.

	<p>
	<li>SWIG does know how to properly perform upcasting of objects in
	an inheritance hierarchy except for multiple inheritance.

	<p>
	<li>A wide variety of C++ features are not currently supported by SWIG. Here is the
	short and incomplete list:

	<p>
	<ul>
	<li>Overloaded methods and functions. SWIG wrappers don't know how to resolve name
	conflicts so you must give an alternative name to any overloaded method name using the
	%name directive like this:

	<blockquote>
	<pre>
	void foo(int a);
	%name(foo2) void foo(double a, double b);
	</pre>
	</blockquote>

	<p>
	<li>Overloaded operators. Not supported at all. The only workaround for this is
	to write a helper function. For example:

	<blockquote>
	<pre>
	%inline %{
	Vector vector_add(Vector a, Vector *b) {
	... whatever ...
	}
	%}
	</pre>
	</blockquote>

	<p>
	<li>Namespaces. Not supported at all. Won't be supported until SWIG2.0 (if at all).

	</ul>
	<p>

	<li>Dave's snide remark: Like a large bottle of strong Tequilla, it's better to
	use C++ in moderation.

	</ul>

	<hr>
	</body>
	</html>