/*
 * ManipulableClone.hpp
 *
 *  Created on: Jan 6, 2011
 *      Author: heber
 */

#ifndef MANIPULABLECLONE_HPP_
#define MANIPULABLECLONE_HPP_

/**  \section <ManipulableClone> (ManipulableClone Howto)
 *
 * Prototypes serves as templates in object creation, i.e. new objects are
 * created by coping the prototype. Therefore each prototypical type has to
 * implement a clone() function. Here, we go one step further: In order to
 * allow for changing member variables a clone contains which is not possible
 * by member functions but only through ythe constructor, you may instantiate
 * a ManipulableClone, i.e. implement a manipulatedclone(set) function which
 * uses a parameter struct \a set containing new values to be used in the
 * constructor call.
 *
 * By inheriting this pattern and implementing the clone function you make
 * sure that the prototypes, e.g. to be stored in a factory table, can be
 * safely copied (the factory just calls clone of the prototype) and can
 * be handed out by the abstract and common interface.
 *
 * <h2> Howto </h2.
 *
 * Basically, you if you have your Prototype types, e.g. \a Prototype1 that
 * all have a common interface, \a IPrototype, you just inherit additionally
 * the specific ManipulableClone<IPrototype> class as follows:
 *
 * @code
 * class Prototype1 :
 *   public IPrototype,
 *   public ManipulableClone<IPrototype,ParameterSet>
 * {
 * public:
 *   IPrototype clone()
 *   {
 *     ... do something to clone the class ...
 *   };
 *   IPrototype clone(const ParameterSet &_params)
 *   {
 *     ... do something to clone the class ...
 *     ... while using _params ...
 *   };
 * };
 * @endcode
 *
 * Note that ParameterSet should be a structure containing public member
 * values.
 *
 */
template <class interface, class parameterset>
class ManipulableClone
{
public:
  virtual ~ManipulableClone() {};
  virtual interface* clone() const = 0;
  virtual ManipulableClone<interface, parameterset>* manipulatedclone(const parameterset &_parameters) const = 0;
};

#endif /* MANIPULABLECLONE_HPP_ */