[fU] documentation caveat regarding classloading:

[stephan b. <st...@ei...>]

One of the most important classes, classloader_register<> does not get 
documented by doxygen because it is an anonymous namespace (for linking 
reasons). It is in toolbox/ClassLoader.h, and explains how the 
collisions-free class/factory registration is handled. i wish i knew 
how to get doxygen to doc it :/.

Here's what the INSTANTIATOR-like macro looks like:

#define CLASSLOADER_REGISTER(BaseT,SubT) \
        namespace { template<> struct 
classloader_registerer<BaseT,SubT>{\
                typedef BaseT base_t; \
                typedef SubT sub_t; \
                typedef classloader_registerer<base_t,sub_t> this_t; \
                static int placeholder; \
                static std::string class_name(){ return # SubT; } \
                static int startup( const std::string & classname) { \
                        return toolbox::ClassLoader< base_t 
>::register_factory( classname, toolbox::Factory< base_t, sub_t 
>::newInstance ); \
                }\
        }; \
        int classloader_registerer<BaseT,SubT>::placeholder = 
classloader_registerer<BaseT,SubT>::startup( # SubT );\
        }

// string arg to startup(...) is not strictly necessary any more.

that ensures that when the app starts up (or DLL is dlopen()ed) that the 
proper classloader is registered for the given type. The BaseT 
parameter is the one used by clients when "casting". e.g., that would 
be LoadableClass or Serializable in the current libfun code. The SubT 
param is, of course, a subtype of BaseT. The docs/headers cover this in 
excruciating detail (or should, anwyay).

The classloader is fundamentally different than conventional ones. It 
doesn't read ANY symbols from DLLs. Instead it just opens them, 
triggering these "callbacks", and then asks itself if someone 
registered the appropriate factory.

-- 
----- st...@ei... - http://www.einsurance.de
"... NOT because we are America's poodle ..." Tony Blair, 30.9.2003