On Tue, 29 Jul 2003 21:08:35 -0500 (EST), Kenneth Chiu wrote
On Tue, 29 Jul 2003 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Hi all,
Passing arrays as parameters to a method
----------------------------------------
Doing this C++ differs from Java. Usually in C++ we pass the size of the
array in another parameter so that inside the method it know the size of
the
array.
In Java this is not a problem because an Array itself is a class that has
the
size. So a method in java,
int EchoIntArray(int []) corresponds to int EchoArray(int [],
int)
in C++.
Suppose some one needs to write a web service for this method and the
method
signature that the WSDL describes corresponds to the method signature in
Java
exactly but not the C++ one.
So how should a C++ developer implement his service corresponding to the WSDL ?
This way that we (Axis C++) asks the C++ web service developer should be
decided in order to improve Wrapper Class Generator (WCG) to handle
passing
and returning arrays from methods.
I find that we can give 2 solutions,
1. Introduce Axis C++ own Array class. So the method signature becomes int EchoIntArray(AxisArray a)
2. Ask the C++ developer to specify the meaning of other parameters by
using
a predefined Axis C++ macro. Then the method signature becomes, int EchoIntArray(int [], ARRAYINSIZE int);
Which is the best option to choose. IMO I like second.
Also if you find any other solution please discuss.
Comments on this is very much appreciated.
I suggest 1, or use std::array, simply because number 2 seems error-prone. Also, if you encapsulate the array in an object, you can add range checking. You can #ifdef-out the range-checking in the release build.
I am not aware of an array class in STL. you must be refering to std::list.
Anyway we hope to allow passing most of STL types as parameters as it is. When we allow this anyone can pass a std::list or std::map (etc) to a method as parameters. Only thing is we have to improve the Wrapper Class Generator (WCG) to use Axis implimented Serializers and Deserializers for each of those STL types.
I too like if we can ask C++ web service developers to use std::list instead of an array. If so we (the WCG) can just forget about handling arrays.
But usually its unlikely that a C++ developer use a std::list when he wants to pass an array of integers (list<int> instead of int[]) but array of complex types (say list<Address> instead of Address[]) is OK.
what about std::vector - it has the [] operator, and looks like an array that that grows. Except on MSVC4.2 where it pointer exceptions whenever it tries to grow above 8 elements.
