dolfin team mailing list archive

["Martin Sandve Alnæs" <martinal@xxxxxxxxx>]

2008/5/18 Garth N. Wells <gnw20@xxxxxxxxx>:
> Anders Logg wrote:
>> On Sun, May 18, 2008 at 12:42:21PM +0100, Garth N. Wells wrote:
>>>
>>> Anders Logg wrote:
>>>> On Sun, May 18, 2008 at 12:09:04PM +0100, Garth N. Wells wrote:
>>>>> The uBlasFactory class doesn't look right to me. It appears to be tied
>>>>> to ublas_sparse_matrix, whereas uBlasMatrix allows the user to choose
>>>>> the matrix type. Is there a way around this?
>>>>>
>>>>> Garth
>>>> Looks like we just need to template the factory and make some minor
>>>> changes in uBlasMatrix.cpp?
>>>>
>>> Yes, but it has some knock-on effects on some other classes which I
>>> don't yet fully understand, e.g. uBlasFactory.
>>>
>>> Garth
>>
>> Another option would be to have two different uBlas factories, one for
>> each matrix type.
>>
>
> Doesn't that defeat the purpose of uBlasMatrix being a templated class?
>
> I'll take a look at what to do with templates, but if someone more
> expert in the factory classes can fix it, all the better.
>
> Garth

This is the classical conflict between static typing/generic
programming/templates
on one side and dynamic typing/OOP/abstract interfaces on the other.
I see basically two options:
- Add more than one variant of uBlasFactory (one for each set of
template options)
- Add run-time options to uBlasFactory somehow to switch between
  a set of predefined instantiated templates.

The other backends also have different matrix formats,
so a simple and general solution is probably difficult.

--
Martin