Re: Objects, File Names, and the Save command.

[davidf(at)dfanning.com (David Fanning)]

J.D. Smith (jdsmith@astrosun.tn.cornell.edu) writes: 

> I am exploring a very promising use of the save/restore commands in
> conjuction with objects.  Given some complex object which contains a
> host of different types of data (with pointers, etc.), as part of a
> class method, one adds:
> 
> save, self, FILENAME=fname 
> 
> to register on disk an accurate snapshot of the object.  To restore,
> later, use:
> 
> restore,pname,RESTORED_OBJECTS=obj,/RELAXED_STRUCTURE_ASSIGNMENT
> 
> and the object is in obj, but also brought back as the local variable
> *self*.  

> [cut...]

> This is all very convenient but leads to the strange situation of a
> loaded object in memory which exists there *before* any of the class
> methods, and/or the __define procedure for that object class are
> compiled.  Therefore, the usual paradigm of putting all class methods in
> the __define procedure file before this procedure (suggested by RSI
> itself in the manual) fails.  How can the method be found if the
> __define doesn't have to be compiled and isn't in it's own file?  I
> would like to come up with a solution which doesn't involve a separate
> class__method.pro file for each method.  Any ideas?

How about something like this:

   thisClass = Obj_Class(self)
   Resolve_Routine, thisClass + '_define'

I haven't tested this, but don't see any reason it wouldn't work.
Resolve_Routine is the way IDL procedures and functions can
be compiled from *within* other procedures and functions.

Cheers,

David

-----------------------------------------------------------
David Fanning, Ph.D.
Fanning Software Consulting
E-Mail: davidf@dfanning.com
Phone: 970-221-0438
Coyote's Guide to IDL Programming: http://www.dfanning.com/