COTS%20Challenges%20for%20%20Embedded%20Systems

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E81 CSE 532S Advanced Multi-Paradigm Software
Development
Introduction to Generic Programming in C
Chris Gill Department of Computer
Science Washington University, St.
Louis cdgill_at_cs.wustl.edu
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Each Paradigm Has a Particular View

• Computer programming is largely a matter of
  algorithms and data structures.
• Austern pp. 3 (Generic Programming Paradigm)
• Object-based might say methods and data
• OO might say inheritance and polymorphism
• Patterns might say design forces and contexts
• And so forth

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What is the STL?

• An abstract library of concepts
• A formal hierarchy of software requirements
• A library of interchangeable modules
• Algorithms
• Containers
• Iterators
• Function objects, and much more
• A flexible and efficient software framework
• An extensible platform for software development

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What is Generic Programming?

• An abstraction technique for algorithms
• Argument types are as general as possible
• Separates algorithm steps argument properties
• What GoF design pattern does this resemble?
• Type requirements can be specified, systematized
• Can cluster requirements into abstractions
• Termed concepts
• Concepts can refine other concepts
• Captures relationships between concepts
• Analogy to inheritance hierarchies
• A type that meets a concepts requirements
• Is a model of the concept
• Can be plugged in to meet that set of
  requirements

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Generic Algorithm Example

• STL linear search (based on Austern pp. 13)
• template lttypename Iterator, typename Tgt
• Iterator find2 (Iterator first, Iterator last,
• const T value)
• while (first ! last first ! value)
• first
• return first
• A generic algorithm
• Searches any one-dimensional sequence of
  elements, for any type on which the operators work