// -*- mode: C++; c-indent-level: 4; c-basic-offset: 4; indent-tabs-mode: nil; -*-
//
// Reference.h: Rcpp R/C++ interface class library -- S4 objects
//
// Copyright (C) 2010 - 2011 Dirk Eddelbuettel and Romain Francois
//
// This file is part of Rcpp.
//
// Rcpp is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it
// under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
// the Free Software Foundation, either version 2 of the License, or
// (at your option) any later version.
//
// Rcpp is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
// WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
// GNU General Public License for more details.
//
// You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
// along with Rcpp.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.

#ifndef Rcpp_Reference_h
#define Rcpp_Reference_h                     

#include <Rcpp/S4.h>
#include <Rcpp/exceptions.h>

namespace Rcpp{ 

    /**
     * S4 object (of a reference class)
     */
    class Reference : public S4 {
    public:
        Reference() ;
        
        /**
         * checks that x is an S4 object of a reference class and wrap it.
         *
         * @param x must be an S4 object of some reference class
         */
        Reference(SEXP x) ; 
        
        /**
         * copy constructor
         *
         * @param other other S4 object
         */
        Reference(const Reference& other) ;
        Reference(const RObject::SlotProxy& proxy ) ;
        Reference(const RObject::AttributeProxy& proxy ) ;
        
        Reference& operator=( const Reference& other);
        Reference& operator=( SEXP other ) ; 
        
        /**
         * Creates an reference object of the requested class. 
         *
         * @param klass name of the target reference class
         * @throw reference_creation_error if klass does not map to a known S4 class
         */
        Reference( const std::string& klass ) ;

        
        // TODO: perhaps I should move this to RObject (do the same as SlotProxy, etc ...)
        /**
         * Proxy for objects slots. 
         */
        class FieldProxy {
        public:
            /**
             * Creates a field proxy. 
             *
             * @param v parent object of which we get/set a field
             * @param name field name
             */
            FieldProxy( const Reference& v, const std::string& name) ;

            /**
             * lhs use. Assigns the target slot using the current 
             * value of another slot proxy.
             *
             * @param rhs another slot proxy
             */
            FieldProxy& operator=(const FieldProxy& rhs) ;
                
            /**
             * lhs use. Assigns the slot by wrapping the rhs object
             *
             * @param rhs wrappable object
             */
            template <typename T> FieldProxy& operator=(const T& rhs){
                set( wrap(rhs) ) ;
                return *this ;
            }
                
            /**
             * rhs use. Retrieves the current value of the slot
             * and structures it as a T object. This only works 
             * when as<T> makes sense
             */ 
            template <typename T> operator T() const {
                return as<T>(get()) ;
            }
                
        private:
            const Reference& parent; 
            std::string field_name ;
                
            SEXP get() const ;
            void set(SEXP x ) const;
        } ;
        friend class FieldProxy ;   
                
        FieldProxy field( const std::string& name) const  ;
    
    
    private:
        void set( SEXP x) ;        
    } ;

} // namespace Rcpp

#endif
