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Generic Programming Starts With: Algorithms

The document discusses the concept of generic programming and algorithms. It starts with defining generic algorithms as those that work with a maximal family of types by removing unnecessary requirements. It then shows how a max_element algorithm is generalized from working with arrays to working with any container by lifting requirements and making it rely only on iterator concepts. Concepts are defined as intensions that type abstractions must satisfy to be considered members of that concept. Many standard and boost libraries are designed using the concept-based approach.

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Tung Nguyen
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20 views24 pages

Generic Programming Starts With: Algorithms

The document discusses the concept of generic programming and algorithms. It starts with defining generic algorithms as those that work with a maximal family of types by removing unnecessary requirements. It then shows how a max_element algorithm is generalized from working with arrays to working with any container by lifting requirements and making it rely only on iterator concepts. Concepts are defined as intensions that type abstractions must satisfy to be considered members of that concept. Many standard and boost libraries are designed using the concept-based approach.

Uploaded by

Tung Nguyen
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Genericprogrammingstartswith

algorithms

Minimal requirements:
works with maximal
family of types

Am

Generic
algorithm

Lift

...
Remove an
unneeded
requirement
on the type
Start
here

Lift

A1
Lift

A0

Less specialized:
works with more
than one type

Concrete algorithm:
requires specific data type

Maximalwithrespecttowhat?

Maintain usefulness of
the algorithm make
efficiency part of the
requirements

Am

Generic
algorithm

Lift

...
Lift

A1
Lift

A0

Concrete algorithm

A Concrete Algorithm
float
max_element(float a[],
int N)
{
if (N == 0)
throw MaxElementEmptyArrayError;
int first = 0; float max = a[0];
while (++first < N)
if (max < a[first])
max = a[first];
return max;
}

A More Useful Interface


int
max_element(float a[],
int first, int last)
{
if (first == last)
return first;
int result = first;
while (++first != last)
if (a[result] < a[first])
result = first;
return result;
}

A Linked-List Counterpart
float_list_node*
max_element(float_list_node* first,
float_list_node* last)
{
if (first == last)
return first;
float_list_node* result = first;
while (first->next != last)
if (result->data < first->data)
result = first;
return result;
}

Back to the Array Version


int
max_element(float a[],
int first, int last)
{
if (first == last)
return first;
int result = first;
while (++first != last)
if (a[result] < a[first])
result = first;
return result;
}

Generalize the Element Type


template <typename E>
int
max_element(E a[],
int first, int last)
{
if (first == last)
return first;
int result = first;
while (++first != last)
if (a[result] < a[first])
result = first;
return result;
}

From Array Indexing to Pointers


template <typename T>
T*
max_element(T* first,
T* last)
{
if (first == last)
return first;
T* result = first;
while (++first != last)
if (*result < *first)
result = first;
return result;
}

Generalize from Pointers to Iterators


template <typename ForwardIterator>
ForwardIterator
max_element(ForwardIterator first,
ForwardIterator last)
{
if (first == last)
return first;
ForwardIterator result = first;
while (++first != last)
if (*result < *first)
result = first;
return result;
}

Use with any Container with appropriate iterators


int a[] = {6, 3, 7, 5};
int* ai = max_element(a, a+4);
vector<int> v(a, a+4);
vector<int>::iterator
vi = max_element(v.begin(), v.end());
list<int> x(a, a+4);
list<int>::iterator
li = max_element(x.begin(), x.end());
. . .

Generic
max_element algorithm
on
k = ++j
*j = 3
*k = 7
j

3 7

max_element

++i
*i
i==j

Forward
Container
Concept

max_element

Whatisaconcept?

Intension

Extension

Requirement 1

Abstraction 1

Requirement 2
.
.
.
.
Requirement N

Abstraction 2
.
.
.
Abstraction K
.
.
.

Concept

Intension

Extension

Requirement 1

Abstraction 1

Requirement 2
.
.
.
.
Requirement N

Abstraction 2
.
.
.
Abstraction K
.
.
.

An abstraction is in the Extension if and only if


it satisfies all of the requirements in the Intension

Intension

Extension

Closed plane figure


N sides (for any N)

...
Example: Polygon Concept

Intension
Must be a type
whose objects can
store other objects
(elements)
Must have an
associated iterator
type that can be
used to traverse
through the
elements.

Extension
vector<T>, for any T
deque<T> for any T
list<T> for any T
slist<T> for any T
set<T> for any T
map<T> for any T

...

Example: Container Concept

AlgorithmAworkswith
everytypeTinconceptC
Definition:analgorithmisgenericif
itworkswitheverytypeinaconcept
works:iscorrectandefficient

STL Container Concepts

Container

Associative
Container

Forward
Container

Sequence

Front
Insertion
Sequence

Reversible
Container
Back
Insertion
Sequence

Front
& Back
Insertion
Sequence

Random
Access
Container

Vector

Simple
A. C.

Set

Multiset

Sorted
A. C.

Unique
A. C.

Multiple
A. C.

Hashed
A. C.

Unique
Sorted
A. C.

Multiple
Sorted
A. C.

Unique
Hashed
A. C.

Multiple
Hashed
A. C.

Map

Multimap

H.
Set

Slist
List

Deque

See also http://www.sgi.com/tech/stl

H.
Multiset

H.
Map

Pair
A. C.

H.
Multimap

Click on any node in the


above concept hierarchy to
see the corresponding
requirements as specified in
the SGI STL Programmers
Guide

STL Generic
Algorithms
on Forward
Containers

Requires input
iterators
Requires
forward iterators

Container

Forward
Container

Enables generic algorithms


Back
copy, for_each, equal, transform,

Enables find, merge, fill, replace,


generate, remove, unique, rotate,

Requires
bidirectional
iterators

Sequence

Front
Insertion
Sequence

Back
Insertion
Sequence

Front
& Back
Insertion
Sequence

Reversible
Container

Enables reverse, partition,


inplace_merge,

Requires
Random
random Access
access
Container
iterators

Vector

Slist
List

Deque

Enables sort,
binary_search,
random_shuffle,

STL Concepts

Container

Forward
Container

Associative
Container

Iterator

Input
Iterator

Output
Iterator

Algorithm

Input
Algorithm

Output
Algorithm

Forward
Iterator

Forward
Algorithm

Bidirectional

Bidirectional

Iterator

Algorithm

Random
Access
Iterator

Random
Access
Algorithm

Functor

Unary
Functor

Binary
Functor

Binary
Predicate
Order
Relation

Adaptor

Iterator
Adaptor

New Concepts in the Boost Graph Library

BGL Concepts
STL Concepts
Container

Graph

Incidence Adj.
Graph
Graph

Iterator

Graph
Iterator
EdgeList
Graph

Algorithm

Graph
Algorithms

Functor

Adaptor

Visitor

BFS
Visitor

DFS
Visitor

Uniform
Cost
Visitor

See also http://www.boost.org/libs/graph/doc

Generic Libraries Designed and Developed Via


the Concept-Based Approach

Standard Template Library (HP, RPI, SGI)


Matrix Template Library (Indiana U.)
Boost Graph Library (Indiana U.)
Parallel Boost Graph Library (D. Gregor [RPI PhD], Indiana U.)
Boost Array Library (N. Josuttis)
Boost Multi-Array Library (Indiana U.)
Boost Basic Linear Algebra Library (J. Walter, M. Koch)
Boost Property Map Library (Indiana U.)
Boost Random Number Generator Library (J. Mauer)
Boost Threads Library (W. Kempf)
Boost Concept Checking Library (Indiana U.)
Computational Geometry Algorithms Library (H. Brnnimann,
S. Schirra, R. Veltkamp, )

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