Boost C++ Libraries

Metafunction defining type as the tag of the specified geometry type.

Description

With Boost.Geometry, tags are the driving force of the tag dispatching mechanism. The tag metafunction is therefore used in every free function.

Synopsis

template<typename Geometry>
struct tag
{
  // ...
};

Template parameter(s)

Header

Either

#include <boost/geometry.hpp>

Or

#include <boost/geometry/core/tag.hpp>

Metafunction result type

The metafunction tag defines type as one of the following tags:

Complexity

Compile time

Example

Shows how tag dispatching essentially works in Boost.Geometry

#include <iostream>

#include <boost/geometry.hpp>
#include <boost/geometry/geometries/polygon.hpp>
#include <boost/geometry/geometries/multi_polygon.hpp>
#include <boost/geometry/geometries/adapted/boost_tuple.hpp>

#include <boost/assign.hpp> 

BOOST_GEOMETRY_REGISTER_BOOST_TUPLE_CS(cs::cartesian)

template <typename Tag> struct dispatch {};

// Specialization for points
template <> struct dispatch<boost::geometry::point_tag>
{
    template <typename Point>
    static inline void apply(Point const& p)
    {
        // Use the Boost.Geometry free function "get"
        // working on all supported point types
        std::cout << "Hello POINT, you are located at: "
            << boost::geometry::get<0>(p) << ", "
            << boost::geometry::get<1>(p)
            << std::endl;
    }
};

// Specialization for polygons
template <> struct dispatch<boost::geometry::polygon_tag>
{
    template <typename Polygon>
    static inline void apply(Polygon const& p)
    {
        // Use the Boost.Geometry manipulator "dsv"
        // working on all supported geometries
        std::cout << "Hello POLYGON, you look like: "
            << boost::geometry::dsv(p)
            << std::endl;
    }
};

// Specialization for multipolygons
template <> struct dispatch<boost::geometry::multi_polygon_tag>
{
    template <typename MultiPolygon>
    static inline void apply(MultiPolygon const& m)
    {
        // Use the Boost.Range free function "size" because all
        // multigeometries comply to Boost.Range
        std::cout << "Hello MULTIPOLYGON, you contain: "
            << boost::size(m) << " polygon(s)"
            << std::endl;
    }
};

template <typename Geometry>
inline void hello(Geometry const& geometry)
{
    // Call the metafunction "tag" to dispatch, and call method (here "apply")
    dispatch
        <
            typename boost::geometry::tag<Geometry>::type
        >::apply(geometry);
}

int main()
{
    // Define polygon type (here: based on a Boost.Tuple)
    typedef boost::geometry::model::polygon<boost::tuple<int, int> > polygon_type;

    // Declare and fill a polygon and a multipolygon
    polygon_type poly;
    boost::geometry::exterior_ring(poly) = boost::assign::tuple_list_of(0, 0)(0, 10)(10, 5)(0, 0);

    boost::geometry::model::multi_polygon<polygon_type> multi;
    multi.push_back(poly);

    // Call "hello" for point, polygon, multipolygon
    hello(boost::make_tuple(2, 3));
    hello(poly);
    hello(multi);

    return 0;
}

Output:

Hello POINT, you are located at: 2, 3
Hello POLYGON, you look like: (((0, 0), (0, 10), (10, 5), (0, 0)))
Hello MULTIPOLYGON, you contain: 1 polygon(s)