ElementArchetype Class Reference
[linbox/element]

#include <archetype.h>

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Detailed Description

Field and Ring element interface specification and archetypical instance class.

Element classes must contain public default constructor, copy constructor, assignment operator, and destructor. Note that primitive types such as int and double meet this specification.

In particular, the copy constructor is used to allow elements to be passed by value to a function.

Note that the documentation below of the specific methods, describes them as implemented in the archetypic element class.

Public Member Functions
Common Object Interface for LinBox Field elements.
These methods are required of all {LinBox} field elements.
	ElementArchetype (void)
	ElementArchetype (const ElementArchetype &a)
	~ElementArchetype ()
ElementArchetype &	operator= (const ElementArchetype &a)
Implementation-Specific Methods.
These methods are not required of all LinBox field elements and are included only for this implementation of the archetype.
	ElementArchetype (ElementAbstract *elem_ptr)

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Constructor & Destructor Documentation

ElementArchetype (  void   )  [inline]

Default constructor. This constructor is required to allow field elements to be primitive C++ types. Because constructor does not know what field the element belongs to, it cannot actually construct the element. In this implementation, the constructor it sets { } to the null pointer. Initialization of the element is done through the field function init where the field is known.

ElementArchetype (  const ElementArchetype &  a  )  [inline]

Copy constructor. This constructor is required to allow field elements to be primitive C++ types, and to allow field elements to be passed by value into functions. Constructs field element by copying the field element. In this implementation, this means copying the element to which { a.} points. Parameters: a  field element.

~ElementArchetype (   )  [inline]

Destructor. In this implementation, this destroys element by deleting field element to which { } points.

ElementArchetype (  ElementAbstract *  elem_ptr  )  [inline]

Constructor. Constructs field element from pointer to {ElementAbstract} Not part of the interface. Creates new copy of element object in dynamic memory. Parameters: elem\_ptr  pointer to {ElementAbstract}

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Member Function Documentation

ElementArchetype& operator= (  const ElementArchetype &  a  )  [inline]

Assignment operator. Assigns element a to element. In this implementation, this is done by copying field element to which { } points. Parameters: a  field element.

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