🚀 go-pugleaf

>>>>> "MG" == Michael R Gile <gilem@rpi.edu> writes:
[...]
MG> as I said below, this is what I currently do. However, the
MG> application which I am working with uses template container
MG> classes.  In order to make these containers, every class of every
MG> derivation tree of which there is a container must include these
MG> clone classes.  This is a definite source for potential errors,
MG> since all you have to do is forget to create the clone member, and
MG> you have a problem.  For my purposes it would be suffient to even
MG> know the size of the type which typeinfo represents.  I just don't
MG> see the point in knowing the type, if you can't do anything with
MG> it but compare it to another object.
[...]

You can always check that the clone() member was successful:

	template<typename T> inline
	T&
	clone(T const& original) {
	    T& duplicate = original.clone();
	    assert(typeid(original) == typeid(duplicate));
	}

BTW, it's not too hard to achieve non-invasive clone-like 
functionality using the `type_info' class (the `before()'
member helps too); you'd still need to register clonable
types with something like:

	register_clonable_type<my_new_type>();

	Daveed

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