IBM Visualization Data Explorer Programmer's Reference

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13.4 Object Class

The next four subsections summarize the type definitions and routines that apply to the Object class.

Type Definitions

An Object is represented by a pointer to a C structure stored in global memory. The content of the structure is private to the implementation. A typedef is provided for each class of Object:

typedef struct object *Object;
typedef struct string *String;
typedef struct private *Private;
typedef struct field *Field;
typedef struct group *Group;
typedef struct multigrid *Multigrid
typedef struct series *Series;
typedef struct compositefield *CompositeField;
typedef struct array *Array;
typedef struct regulararray *RegularArray;
typedef struct patharray *PathArray;
typedef struct productarray *ProductArray;
typedef struct mesharray *MeshArray;
typedef struct interpolator *Interpolator;
typedef struct xform *Xform;
typedef struct screen *Screen;
typedef struct clipped *Clipped;
typedef struct camera *Camera;
typedef struct light *Light;

An enum provides a number for each class and subclass:

typedef enum {
    CLASS_MIN,
    CLASS_OBJECT,
    CLASS_PRIVATE,
    CLASS_STRING,
    CLASS_FIELD,
    CLASS_GROUP,
    CLASS_MULTIGRID,
    CLASS_SERIES,
    CLASS_COMPOSITEFIELD,
    CLASS_ARRAY,
    CLASS_REGULARARRAY,
    CLASS_PATHARRAY,
    CLASS_PRODUCTARRAY,
    CLASS_MESHARRAY,
    CLASS_INTERPOLATOR,
    CLASS_FIELDINTERPOLATOR,
    CLASS_GROUPINTERPOLATOR,
    CLASS_LINESRR1DINTERPOLATOR,
    CLASS_LINESRI1DINTERPOLATOR,
    CLASS_QUADSRR2DINTERPOLATOR,
    CLASS_QUADSII2DINTERPOLATOR,
    CLASS_TRISRI2DINTERPOLATOR,
    CLASS_CUBESRRINTERPOLATOR,
    CLASS_CUBESIIINTERPOLATOR,
    CLASS_TETRASINTERPOLATOR,
    CLASS_GROUPITERATOR,
    CLASS_ITEMITERATOR,
    CLASS_XFORM,
    CLASS_SCREEN,
    CLASS_CLIPPED,
    CLASS_CAMERA,
    CLASS_LIGHT,
    CLASS_MAX,
    CLASS_DELETED
} Class;

Classes and Subclasses

Every Data Explorer Object is a member of CLASS_OBJECT and thus can be manipulated with generic-Object-class routines like DXDelete() and DXGetObjectClass(). Each Data Explorer Object is also a member of one of the subclasses of CLASS_OBJECT (e.g., CLASS_FIELD, CLASS_GROUP, and so on). Two of these subclasses (CLASS_GROUP and CLASS_ARRAY) themselves have subclasses (see Table 1).

For any Object, DXGetObjectClass() returns the name of the "lowest" subclass to which that Object belongs. If an operation does not require a particular subclass of Object, it will not be affected if the Object is a not a member. If an operation does require a particular subclass, however, DXGetGroupClass() or DXGetArrayClass() can be used to identify it.

Any member of (superclass) CLASS_ARRAY or CLASS_GROUP can be manipulated with generic superclass routines such as DXGetGroupType() and DXGetArrayInfo().

Object Routines

A number of routines can operate on any Object.

Class DXGetObjectClass()

Returns the class of an Object. See DXGetObjectClass.

Error DXDelete()

Deletes a reference to an Object. See DXDelete.

Object DXSetAttribute()
Object DXDeleteAttribute();

Add or remove a named attribute from an Object. See DXSetAttribute, DXDeleteAttribute.

Object DXGetAttribute()
Object DXGetEnumeratedAttribute();

Retrieve an attribute from an Object. See DXGetAttribute and DXGetEnumeratedAttribute.

The first retrieves a named attribute from an Object; the second, the nth attribute.

Object DXGetFloatAttribute()

Retrieves a named attribute from an Object, verifies that its contents are a floating-point number, and returns that number. See DXGetFloatAttribute.

Object DXGetIntegerAttribute()

Retrieves a named attribute from an Object, verifies that it contains an integer number, and returns that number. See DXGetIntegerAttribute.

Object DXGetStringAttribute()

Retrieves a named attribute from an Object, verifies that it contains a string, and returns a pointer to that string. See DXGetStringAttribute.

Object DXSetFloatAttribute()
Object DXSetIntegerAttribute();
Object DXSetStringAttribute();

Associate a floating-point, integer, or string attribute with an Object. See DXSetFloatAttribute, DXSetIntegerAttribute, and DXSetStringAttribute.

Objects can also be copied:

enum copy {
    COPY_ATTRIBUTES,
    COPY_HEADER,
    COPY_STRUCTURE
};

Object DXCopy()

Copies the structure of an object. The COPY_ parameter determines the depth to which an Object is copied:

  • COPY_ATTRIBUTES Creates a new Object of the same type as the old and copies all attributes and type information. It does not put references to members, components, etc. into the new object.
  • COPY_HEADER Copies only the header of the immediate Object. It does not copy the attributes, members, etc.; instead it puts references to them into the new Object.
  • COPY_STRUCTURE Is the parameter most frequently used with this routine.
    • For Groups: copies the Group header and recursively copies all Group members.
    • For Fields: copies the Field header. It does not copy the components (which are usually Arrays); instead it puts references to the components into the resulting Field.
    • For Arrays: passes back a pointer to the Array and makes no copy.

On error, the routine returns NULL and sets an error code. See DXCopy. See also Chapter 6. "Working with Positions", Chapter 7. "Working with Connections", and Chapter 8. "Importing Data" for examples of this routine's use.

Less Commonly Used Routines

Object DXReference()

Increments the reference count of a specified Object. See DXReference.

Error DXUnreference()

Removes a reference from an Object without deleting it. See DXUnreference.

int DXGetObjectTag()
Object DXSetObjectTag();

Manipulate unique Object identifiers. See DXGetObjectTag, DXSetObjectTag.

Object DXCopyAttributes()

Copies attributes from one Object to another. See DXCopyAttributes.

Setting Data Types

The data type of Arrays, Fields, and Groups are determined as follows.

(Ref #11.)


typedef enum {
    TYPE_BYTE                  (1 byte)
    TYPE_UBYTE                 (2 bytes)
    TYPE_SHORT                 (2 bytes)
    TYPE_USHORT                (2 bytes)
    TYPE_FLOAT                 (4 bytes)
    TYPE_INT                   (4 bytes)
    TYPE_UINT                  (4 bytes)
    TYPE_DOUBLE                (8 bytes)
    TYPE_HYPER                 (8 bytes)
    TYPE_STRING                (dynamic)

} Type;
typedef enum {
    CATEGORY_REAL
    CATEGORY_COMPLEX

} Category;

Object DXGetType()

Returns the type, category, rank, and shape of an Object. See DXGetType.

int DXTypeSize()
int DXCategorySize();

The first returns the size (in bytes) of a variable of a given type; the second, the size multiplier for a given category. See DXTypeSize, DXCategorySize.


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