Yii2 virtual attribute naming - very strange uppercase/lowercase problem? - yii2

I am using Yii2 and I have the virtual attribute notes2 (that is used by the GUI functions instead of database attribute notes):
class Order extends \yii\db\ActiveRecord
{
public function getnotes2() {
return iconv('UTF-16LE', 'UTF-8', $this->notes);
}
public function setnotes2($value) {
$this->notes = iconv('UTF-8', 'UTF-16LE', $value);
}
}
In this case both the following codes $order->notes2 and $order->Notes2 calls the setter and returns the right value.
But I have to use $order->getAttributes() function and default implementation of it does not include the virtual attributes. So I tried to override this function with:
public function attributes() {
$attributes = parent::attributes();
$attributes['notes2'] = 'notes2';
return $attributes;
}
And now json_encode($order->getAttributes()) includes empty notes2 field, but $order->notes2 (obviously - this causes the notes2 field to become empty) has no value, but $order->Notes2 has value!
Why such flip-flop of the register of the first character happens? How to declare correctly the virtual field that is available in getAttributes() as well?
But the following code (instead of override of attributes())
public function getAttributes($names = null, $except = []) {
return array_merge(['notes2'], parent::getAttributes($names, $except));
}
behaves as nothing has been overrides - both $order->notes2 and $order->Notes2 are calculated and there is no notes2 (or Notes2) inside the json_encode($order->getAttributes())

This case sensitivity problem is related to PHP limitation/feature - method names are case insensitive so virtual attributes provided by methods are also case insensitive - there is not difference if you define/call it as getnotes2() or getNotes2(), so there is no way to distinguish between $order->notes2 and $order->Notes2.
This works differently for regular attributes (and properties) which does not use methods and they're not affected this case-insensitivity limitation. You didn't explain what you want to achieve, but regular attributes (defined by attributes()) and virtual attributes (provided by getters and setters) are two separate things and you can't mix them up - if you define attribute in attributes() it will be stored in internal array and getter/setter will be ignored (since regular attributes has precedence over virtual attributes).
In your case you defined the same attribute twice: once as regular attribute (in attributes()) and second as virtual attribute (with getter and setter). If you use this attribute with correct case ($order->notes2), regular attribute will be used. If case is incorrect ($order->Notes2) regular attribute will not be used (since it is case sensitive and there is no Notes2 attribute) and virtual attribute will be used (since it will ignore case) as a fallback.
If the only thing you want to do is include notes2 in getAttributes() try to override getAttributes() in this way and do not touch attributes() at all:
public function getAttributes($names = null, $except = []) {
return array_merge(
['notes2' => $this->getNotes2()],
parent::getAttributes($names, $except)
);
}
Not that this will ignore $names and $except arguments and always return notes2 attribute.

Related

Convert an instance of QObject to JSON

I have some code that I am using to convert arbitrary QObject subclasses to JSON. I able to convert them if they are pointers to a subclass, but am curious whether it is possible to convert instances (provided the subclass implements a copy constructor). Is there some crazy way to use something like templates or the type information provided by QMetaType to copy an instance of a QObject subclass without knowing what it is? The ToJson code is in a class that has no knowledge of the subclass.
I think it might be possible with QMetaType::create or something similar but I haven't been able to figure out how to actually copy the properties of the subclass instance.
Here's my code for converting:
QJsonValue ToJson(QVariant value){
switch(value.type()){
case QVariant::Int:
case QVariant::Double:
return value.toDouble();
////Other cases, etc...
case QVariant::UserType:
QObject* obj_ptr = qvariant_cast<QObject*>(value);
if(obj_ptr) // value was originally a pointer to a QObject, works correctly
return ToJson(obj_ptr);
else { // value was orginally an instance of a QObject subclass
std::string t = value.typeName(); //returns "MyQObject"
int id = QMetaType::type(t.c_str()); //returns the id of the derived class
void* v = QMetaType::create(id, &value); //passing &value does nothing
obj_ptr = static_cast<QObject*>(v);
return ToJson(obj_ptr); //works, but resulting fields are all default
}
}
}
QJsonObject ToJson(QObject* o){
QJsonObject obj;
auto mo = o->metaObject();
for (int i = mo->propertyOffset(); i < mo->propertyCount(); ++i){
QVariant value = o->property(mo->property(i).name());
obj[mo->property(i).name()] = ToJson(value);
}
return obj;
}
Sample code use case:
qRegisterMetaType<MyQObject>();
MyQObject obj;
obj.db = 11.1;
QVariant test1 = QVariant::fromValue(obj);
QVariant test2 = QVariant::fromValue(&obj);
QJsonValue v1 = ToJson(test1); // default constructed values
QJsonValue v2 = ToJson(test2); // db = 11.1
Sample QObject subclass:
class MyQObject : public QObject {
Q_OBJECT
Q_PROPERTY(double DB MEMBER db)
Q_PROPERTY(int I MEMBER i)
public:
MyQObject();
MyQObject(const MyQObject& other) : QObject() {
i = other.i;
db = other.db;
}
int i = 50;
double db = 1.5;
};
Q_DECLARE_METATYPE(MyQObject)
Is there any way to handle the case illustrated by test1 above?
Long-story-short: nope. There is no way to store QObjects by value in containers or QVariant.
Qt forbids the copy of QObjects and all inheriting classes. The mandatory the Q_OBJECT macro will disable any copy constructor also in newly defined classes.
The copy constructor that you are defining in the MyObject class is missing the base class constructor call. If QObject had a copy constructor it would be something like this:
MyQObject(const MyQObject& other) :
QObject(other) // this will NEVER compile
{
i = other.i;
db = other.db;
}
Probably, the compiler is giving you a warning, but allows you to have such a constructor, even if it will result in undefined behavior or slicing an instance of MyObject every time it is passed by value.
Furthermore, the Qt docs states the following:
The values stored in the various containers can be of any assignable
data type. To qualify, a type must provide a default constructor, a
copy constructor, and an assignment operator. This covers most data
types you are likely to want to store in a container, including basic
types such as int and double, pointer types, and Qt data types such as
QString, QDate, and QTime, but it doesn't cover QObject or any QObject
subclass (QWidget, QDialog, QTimer, etc.).
So you can't store QObject and derived classes inside a Qt container unless you store them as pointers, as copy of QObjects is disabled by design.
Furthermore, if you want to exploit polymorphic behavior you must use pointers, even if there is no explicit need to cast to derived classes in your code, as far as I can see. If you really need to resort to casting in some place, you could consider making your ToJson a template function.
There is a solution, but use caution as it is only reasonable/applicable in the following scenario:
Classes in question are primarily data storage classes
The classes in question would be entirely copy-able if they didn't inherit from QObject
Most importantly, the ONLY reason you have the class inherit from QObject is so that it can have meta properties.
If your code uses the class as a QObject for any reason other than to get meta information, you are almost certainly using it incorrectly if you are trying to store it by value (as explained by G. Giordano in their answer).
Misuse considerations aside, in order to JSON-ify a QVariant that stores a QObject subclass by value, you can use the QMetaType::create method and pass it the user type id and yourQVariant.constData().
Example:
MyQObject obj;
obj.db = 11.1;
QVariant value = QVariant::fromValue(obj);
std::string t = value.typeName();
int id = QMetaType::type(t.c_str());
void* v = QMetaType::create(id, value.constData());
obj_ptr = static_cast<QObject*>(v);
QJsonValue json = ToJson(obj_ptr); //json contains db = 11.1

Perl6: Constructors in subclases

Is there a way to assign instance variables declared in a super class, from a constructor in a sub class? I have gotten used to using BUILD() as constructor, but I am wondering if this is a good idea. I.e:
use v6;
class File
{
has $!filename;
}
class XmlFile is File
{
submethod BUILD(:$!filename)
{
}
}
my XmlFile $XF = XmlFile.new(filename => "test.xml");
The code above doesn’t work, prompting an error: "Attribute $!filename not declared in class XmlFile". Is it a matter of using the right accesser? Changing "!" to "." does not solve the problem.
You're halfway there. You have to make the correct two changes to your code:
class File {
has $.filename; # 1. Replace `!` with `.`
}
class XmlFile is File {
submethod BUILD(:$filename) { } # 2. Remove `!`
}
dd my XmlFile $XF = XmlFile.new(filename => "test.xml");
# XmlFile $XF = XmlFile.new(filename => "test.xml")
Replacing $!filename with $.filename in the File class generates a public accessor method (.filename) in that class.
(Note that attributes are technically always private to a class, i.e. always unavailable to other classes, even trusted ones. When you see the phrase "public attribute" it really means there's a "public accessor" that controls access to a corresponding underlying private attribute.)
Removing the ! twigil from the BUILD signature in the XmlFile class means you're no longer trying to reference a non-existent XmlFile attribute and instead just passing a named argument.
Per Object Construction:
Due to the default behavior of BUILDALL and BUILD submethods, named arguments to the constructor new derived from Mu can correspond directly to public attributes of any of the classes in the method resolution order, or to any named parameter of any BUILD submethod.
(There's that "public attribute" misnomer. It means "attributes with a matching public accessor".)
If you would like it to remain private, you can always add it directly to the subclass as well. (Perhaps you don't control the class you are subclassing?) You will, of course, have to be careful about which methods do which things between your class and subclass.
class File
{
has $!filename;
}
class XmlFile is File
{
has $!filename;
submethod BUILD(:$!filename)
{
}
}
my XmlFile $XF = XmlFile.new(filename => "test.xml");
You may also want to consider using a 'has a' relationship instead of a 'is a' relationship by making an attribute of class XmlFile that holds a class File depending on what you are trying to do.
The handles trait makes delegation to another class a particularly easy and useful option to direct subclassing.
class XmlFile
{
has File $!file handles<some methods>;
...
}

How can I create a subclass that takes in different parameters for the same function name?

So I have made this simple interface:
package{
public interface GraphADT{
function addNode(newNode:Node):Boolean;
}
}
I have also created a simple class Graph:
package{
public class Graph implements GraphADT{
protected var nodes:LinkedList;
public function Graph(){
nodes = new LinkedList();
}
public function addNode (newNode:Node):Boolean{
return nodes.add(newNode);
}
}
last but not least I have created another simple class AdjacancyListGraph:
package{
public class AdjacancyListGraph extends Graph{
public function AdjacancyListGraph(){
super();
}
override public function addNode(newNode:AwareNode):Boolean{
return nodes.add(newNode);
}
}
Having this setup here is giving me errors, namely:
1144: Interface method addNode in namespace GraphADT is implemented with an incompatible signature in class AdjacancyListGraph.
Upon closer inspection it was apparent that AS3 doesn't like the different parameter types from the different Graph classes newNode:Node from Graph , and newNode:AwareNode from AdjacancyListGraph
However I don't understand why that would be a problem since AwareNode is a subClass of Node.
Is there any way I can make my code work, while keeping the integrity of the code?
Simple answer:
If you don't really, really need your 'addNode()' function to accept only an AwareNode, you can just change the parameter type to Node. Since AwareNode extends Node, you can pass in an AwareNode without problems. You could check for type correctness within the function body :
subclass... {
override public function addNode (node:Node ) : Boolean {
if (node is AwareNode) return nodes.add(node);
return false;
}
}
Longer answer:
I agree with #32bitkid that your are getting an error, because the parameter type defined for addNode() in your interface differs from the type in your subclass.
However, the main problem at hand is that ActionScript generally does not allow function overloading (having more than one method of the same name, but with different parameters or return values), because each function is treated like a generic class member - the same way a variable is. You might call a function like this:
myClass.addNode (node);
but you might also call it like this:
myClass["addNode"](node);
Each member is stored by name - and you can always use that name to access it. Unfortunately, this means that you are only allowed to use each function name once within a class, regardless of how many parameters of which type it takes - nothing comes without a price: You gain flexibility in one regard, you lose some comfort in another.
Hence, you are only allowed to override methods with the exact same signature - it's a way to make you stick to what you decided upon when you wrote the base class. While you could obviously argue that this is a bad idea, and that it makes more sense to use overloading or allow different signatures in subclasses, there are some advantages to the way that AS handles functions, which will eventually help you solve your problem: You can use a type-checking function, or even pass one on as a parameter!
Consider this:
class... {
protected function check (node:Node) : Boolean {
return node is Node;
}
public function addNode (node:Node) : Boolean {
if (check(node)) return nodes.add(node);
return false;
}
}
In this example, you could override check (node:Node):
subclass... {
override protected function check (node:Node) : Boolean {
return node is AwareNode;
}
}
and achieve the exact same effect you desired, without breaking the interface contract - except, in your example, the compiler would throw an error if you passed in the wrong type, while in this one, the mistake would only be visible at runtime (a false return value).
You can also make this even more dynamic:
class... {
public function addNode (node:Node, check : Function ) : Boolean {
if (check(node)) return nodes.add(node);
return false;
}
}
Note that this addNode function accepts a Function as a parameter, and that we call that function instead of a class method:
var f:Function = function (node:Node) : Boolean {
return node is AwareNode;
}
addNode (node, f);
This would allow you to become very flexible with your implementation - you can even do plausibility checks in the anonymous function, such as verifying the node's content. And you wouldn't even have to extend your class, unless you were going to add other functionality than just type correctness.
Having an interface will also allow you to create implementations that don't inherit from the original base class - you can write a whole different class hierarchy, it only has to implement the interface, and all your previous code will remain valid.
I guess the question is really this: What are you trying to accomplish?
As to why you are getting an error, consider this:
public class AnotherNode extends Node { }
and then:
var alGraph:AdjacancyListGraph = new AdjacancyListGraph();
alGraph.addNode(new AnotherNode());
// Wont work. AnotherNode isn't compatable with the signature
// for addNode(node:AwareNode)
// but what about the contract?
var igraphADT:GraphADT = GraphADT(alGraph);
igraphADT.addNode(new AnotherNode()); // WTF?
According to the interface this should be fine. But your implemenation says otherwise, your implemenation says that it will only accept a AwareNode. There is an obvious mismatch. If you are going to have an interface, a contract that your object should follow, then you might as well follow it. Otherwise, whats the point of the interface in the first place.
I submit that architecture messed up somewhere if you are trying to do this. Even if the language were to support it, I would say that its a "Bad Idea™"
There's an easier way, then suggested above, but less safe:
public class Parent {
public function get foo():Function { return this._foo; }
protected var _foo:Function = function(node:Node):void { ... }}
public class Child extends Parent {
public function Child() {
super();
this._foo = function(node:AnotherNode):void { ... }}}
Of course _foo needs not be declared in place, the syntax used is for shortness and demonstration purposes only.
You will loose the ability of the compiler to check types, but the runtime type matching will still apply.
Yet another way to go about it - don't declare methods in the classes they specialize on, rather make them static, then you will not inherit them automatically:
public class Parent {
public static function foo(parent:Parent, node:Node):Function { ... }}
public class Child extends Parent {
public static function foo(parent:Child, node:Node):Function { ... }}
Note that in second case protected fields are accessible inside the static method, so you can achieve certain encapsulation. Besides, if you have a lot of Parent or Child instances, you will save on individual instance memory footprint (as static methods therefore static there exists only one copy of them, but instance methods would be copied for each instance). The disadvantage is that you won't be able to use interfaces (can be actually an improvement... depends on your personal preferences).

Mapping a field name beginning with an underscore in Entity Framework 4.1 Code First

I have a class that contains a few private/protected fields and some public getters that return the value of the fields. I am attempting to map the fields to database columns using the fluent API on the DbModelBinder in OnModelCreating. I cannot use an automatic property with a protected setter so please don't offer that as a solution to my question. It would probably work I'm sure but I cannot use the automatic property as the domain class is shared code and used with other different ORMs that have different ways of mapping their fields and unfortunately one doesn't support the au
I use the following code (found on stackoverflow) to access the protected field so that I can use the expression when mapping:
public static class ObjectAccessor<T>
where T : class
{
public static Expression<Func<T, TResult>> CreateExpression<TResult>(string propertyOrFieldName)
{
ParameterExpression param = Expression.Parameter(typeof(T), "propertyOrFieldContainer");
Expression body = Expression.PropertyOrField(param, propertyOrFieldName);
LambdaExpression lambda = Expression.Lambda(typeof(Func<T, TResult>), body, param);
return (Expression<Func<T, TResult>>)lambda;
}
}
This all works wonderfully if the field name is m_username but if I use _username I get a ModelValidationException: One or more validation errors were detected during model generation: System.Data.Edm.EdmProperty: Name: The specified name is not allowed: '_username'.
I can't use camelcase without the underscore either as the helper above can't distinguish between the public Username property and the protected username field. I'd really like to still keep using the underscore camelcase without the letter prefix.
Is it possible to configure the ModelBinder in some way so that the validation accepts the property name with a leading underscore?
Thanks in advance,
Mark
It seems that decoration of your field like this :
[Column("username")]
public string _username
maybe helpful in your case, anyway - please review similar case

Proper usage of "this." keyword in C#?

I'm working through the book Head First C# (and it's going well so far), but I'm having a lot of trouble wrapping my head around the syntax involved with using the "this." keyword.
Conceptually, I get that I'm supposed to use it to avoid having a parameter mask a field of the same name, but I'm having trouble actually tracking it through their examples (also, they don't seem to have a section dedicated to that particular keyword, they just explain it and start using it in their examples).
Does anyone have any good rules of thumb they follow when applying "this."? Or any tutorials online that explain it in a different way that Head First C#?
Thanks!
Personally I only use it when I have to which is:
Constructor chaining:
public Foo(int x) : this(x, null)
{
}
public Foo(int x, string name)
{
...
}
Copying from a parameter name into a field (not as common in C# as in Java, as you'd usually use a property - but common in constructors)
public void SetName(string name)
{
// Just "name = name" would be no-op; within this method,
// "name" refers to the parameter, not the field
this.name = name;
}
Referring to this object without any members involved:
Console.WriteLine(this);
Declaring an extension method:
public static TimeSpan Days(this int days)
{
return TimeSpan.FromDays(days);
}
Some other people always use it (e.g. for other method calls) - personally I find that clutters things up a bit.
StyleCop's default coding style enforces the following rule:
A1101: The call to {method or property
name} must begin with the 'this.'
prefix to indicate that the item is a
member of the class.
Which means that every method, field, property that belongs to the current class will be prefixed by this. I was initially resistant to this rule, which makes your code more verbose, but it has grown on me since, as it makes the code pretty clear. This thread discusses the question.
I write this. if and only if it enhances readability, for example, when implementing a Comparable interface (Java, but the idea is the same):
public void compareTo(MyClass other) {
if (this.someField > other.someField) return 1;
if (this.someField < other.someField) return -1;
return 0;
}
As to parameter shadowing (e.g. in constructors): I usually give those a shorter name of the corresponding field, such as:
class Rect {
private int width, height;
public Rect(int w, int h) {
width = w;
height = h;
}
}
Basically, this gives you a reference to the current object. You can use it to access members on the object, or to pass the current object as parameters into other methods.
It is entirely unnecessary in almost all cases to place it before accessing member variables or method calls, although some style guidelines recommend it for various reasons.
Personally, I make sure I name my member variables to be clearly different from my parameters to avoid ever having to use 'this.'. For example:
private String _someData;
public String SomeData
{
get{return _someData;}
set{_someData = value;}
}
It's very much an individual preference though, and some people will recommend that you name the property and member variable the same (just case difference - 'someData' and 'SomeData') and use the this keyword when accessing the private member to indicate the difference.
So as for a rule of thumb - Avoid using it. If you find yourself using it to distinguish between local/parameters variables and member variables then rename one of them so you don't have to use 'this'.
The cases where I would use it are multiple constructors, passing a reference to other methods and in extension methods. (See Jon's answer for examples)
If you have a method inside a class which uses same class's fields, you can use this.
public class FullName
{
public string fn { set; get; }
public string sn { set; get; }
//overriding Equals method
public override bool Equals(object obj)
{
if (!(obj is FullName))
return false;
if (obj == null)
return false;
return this.fn == ((FullName)obj).fn &&
this.sn == ((FullName)obj).sn;
}
//overriding GetHashCode
public override int GetHashCode()
{
return this.fn.GetHashCode() ^ this.sn.GetHashCode();
}
}