How can I create a type based lookup table in order to implement multiple-dispatch in C++?

Question

I'm attempting to make a messaging system in which any class derived from "Messageable" can receive messages based on how the function handleMessage() is overloaded. For example:

class Messageable {
    public:
        void takeMessage(Message& message) {
            this->dispatchMessage(message);
        }
    protected:
        void bindFunction(std::type_info type, /* Need help here */ func) {
            m_handlers[type] = func;
        }

        void dispatchMessage(Message& message) {
            m_handlers[typeid(message)](message);
        }
    private:
        std::map<std::type_info, /*Need help here*/ > m_handlers;
    };

class TestMessageable : public Messageable {
    public:
        TestMessageable() {
            this->bindFunction(
                typeid(VisualMessage), 
                void (TestMessageable::*handleMessage)(VisualMessage));

            this->bindFunction(
                typeid(DanceMessage),
                void (TestMessageable::*handleMessage)(DanceMessage));
        }
    protected:
        void handleMessage(VisualMessage visualMessage) {
            //Do something here with visualMessage
        }

        void handleMessage(DanceMessage danceMessage) {
            //Do something here with danceMessage
        }
};

In a nutshell I want the correct version of handleMessage to be called based on the RTTI value of any given message.

How can I implement this preferably without some sort of monolithic switch/case statement.

Answer 1

You should look into the Double Dispatch pattern. See information here.

You should be able to implement VisualMessage as a class like such:

class VisualMessage : public Message
{
    public:
        virtual void dispatch(Messageable & inMessageable)
        {
            inMessageable.handleMessage(*this);
        }
};

and then call it like this:

Message & vMessage = VisualMessage();
Messageable & tMessageable = TestMessageable();
vMessage.dispatch(tMessageable);

It will then call TestMessageable::handleMessage(VisualMessage & visualMessage)

This is because Message::dispatch will be based on the VisualMessage type. Then when VisualMessage::dispatch calls inMessageable.handleMessage(*this) it will call the right handleMessage because the type of the *this pointer is VisualMessage, not Message.

Answer 2

To fix your code:

struct CompareTypeInfo 
  : std::binary_function<const std::type_info*, const std::type_info*, bool> 
{
    bool operator()(const std::type_info* a, const std::type_info* b) {
        return a->before(*b);
    }
};

class Messageable 
{
protected:
    typedef void (*handlefn)(Messageable *, Message &);
    void bindFunction(const std::type_info& type, handlefn func) {
        m_handlers[&type] = func;
    }

    void dispatchMessage(Message& message) {
        m_handlers[&typeid(message)](this, message);
    }
    template <typename S, typename T>
    static void handle(Messageable *self, Message &m) {
        static_cast<S*>(self)->handleMessage(static_cast<T&>(m));
    }
private:
    std::map<const std::type_info*, handlefn, CompareTypeInfo> m_handlers;
};

class TestMessageable : public Messageable
{
public:
    TestMessageable()
        {
        this->bindFunction(
            typeid(VisualMessage), &Messageable::handle<TestMessageable,VisualMessage>);

        this->bindFunction(
            typeid(DanceMessage), &Messageable::handle<TestMessageable,DanceMessage>);
        }
public:
    void handleMessage(VisualMessage visualMessage)
        {
        //Do something here with visualMessage
        }

    void handleMessage(DanceMessage danceMessage)
        {
        //Do something here with danceMessage
        }
    }
};

Those static_casts could be dynamic_casts for "extra safety" (assuming there are virtual functions kicking around). But the design means you know self must be a pointer to S, because otherwise it wouldn't have this function registered to it, and you know m must refer to a T, because its typeid has already been checked in dispatchMessage. So a failed cast can't happen if the class is used correctly, and all you can do if it does happen is debug.

Actually I think you could cut down the verbiage a bit more by making bindFunction a template too:

template <typename S, typename T>
void bindFunction(void)
    {
    m_handlers[&typeid(T)] = handle<S,T>;
    }

Then call it with:

this->bindFunction<TestMessageable,VisualMessage>();

But still, you can see why Steve Rowe's double dispatch code is usually preferred...

Answer 3

This is an old question but the NUClear library is designed to provide fast and type-safe message passing in a similar vein to the original intent of this question.

Full Disclosure: I am one of the co-developers of NUClear

In this case the TestMessageable class is implemented as a NUClear::Reactor like so:

#include <NUClear.h>

// TestMessageable.h
class TestMessageable : NUClear::Reactor {
    public:
        TestMessageable(NUClear::PowerPlant* powerPlant);
    private:
};

// TestMessageable.cpp
#include "TestMessageable.h"

TestMessageable::TestMessageable(NUClear::PowerPlant* powerPlant)
: NUClear::Reactor(powerPlant) {
    on<Trigger<VisualMessage>>([this](const VisualMessage& message) {
        // Do something with VisualMessage here
        // On can also take anything that is callable with a const& VisualMessage.

        // Messages are sent using emit.
        // If you don't have C++14 NUClear provides std::make_unique
        auto classifiedData = std::make_unique<ClassifiedVision>(/* stuff */);
        emit(std::move(classifieData));
    });

    on<Trigger<DanceMessage>>([this](const DanceMessage& message) {
         // Do something with DanceMessage here.
    });
}

Answer 4

You will find such kind of implementation in Scott Meyers' More Effective C++ and item - 31 is what you want & nicely explained.