Re: [Rd] Create and access several instances of a C++ class from R
On 07.05.2011, at 11:15, Romain Francois wrote: Try having do_bar with this signature: void do_bar(NumericVector data); And my advice would probably also to have your C field either as a NumericVector. NumericVector is just a thin wrapper around the internal R data structure. Having data members as direct pointers is dangerous and not a very C++ way of doing things. If you want to learn about the STL, there are many books that cover it and plenty of online resources. I use this : http://cplusplus.com/reference/stl/. Using the STL is easier than dealing with pointers and stuff. If your game is to pass down a double* to some api you use, you can use the begin method of NumericVector, this will give you the array pointer (as would REAL do on the underlying SEXP): [...] For the files: the discussion continues here: http://lists.r-forge.r-project.org/pipermail/rcpp-devel/2011-May/002261.html Regards Sören __ R-devel@r-project.org mailing list https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-devel
Re: [Rd] Create and access several instances of a C++ class from R
Hello
Thanks again for help!
We have attached version info, code, and contents of 00install.out at the end
of the message. The package can be found here:
http://sovo.md-hh.com/files/Foo.tar.gz
We had followed Dirks explanation in the Rcpp modules vignette and the
presentation of Rcpp modules. The steps there and the ones Dirk listed here are
basically the same, and all worked fine for us, so far. Even more, we have
adapted some of the example code to a class Foo with two methods of interest,
do_foo() and do_bar(). We have played around with various combinations of which
method to expose in the module. In the end, exposing do_foo() works, R CMD
CHECK does not complain. (Except for some namespacing error, but the same
happens when I compile the example simple, see below.)
Anyway, if we want the method do_bar() to expose, R CMD CHECK Foo stops with an
error that says: cannot convert ‘SEXPREC*’ to ‘double*’ in initialization. We
*guess* that it is pointers as arguments in methods exposed that cause errors,
because there is no wrappers as() and wrap() for pointers in Rcpp. Indee,
we know that our crystal ball may fool us.
Summarising so far, principally, Rcpp modules works for us and coding with this
module is very easy, especially with the help files provided in the package.
However, Rcpp modules does not work if you want to expose methods with pointers
as exposed methods' arguments (we assume). Yet, we have to use pointers, and
rewriting the complete class is no option.
Recently, Dirk gave us the advice to have a look at STL containers. We have
googled and found some information, and looking at it works fine, however,
working with it is somewhat beyond our C++ skills. If the STL things *are*
our *only* solution, could some reader here provide us with a specific solution
to exposing do_bar()? Or what else can we do to (1) use the class as is
(because it works with dyn.load as well as in other software outside R) and (2)
incorporate things into Rcpp modules (or other code) anyway?
Thanks for all help!
Sören and Carlo
On 07.05.2011, at 02:39, Dirk Eddelbuettel wrote:
Sören and Carlo,
On 6 May 2011 at 19:24, soeren.vo...@uzh.ch wrote:
| Hello
|
| We have a C++ class with several methods that manipulate an object. How is
| it possible to create several instances of that class *from R* in the C++
| realm, which can then be accessed via a given name character?
Yes it is, and even somewhat easily given Rcpp modules as we tried to explain
over at the Rcpp-devel list when you asked there. As a real quick
proof-of-concept, I did the following:
1) Make sure you have a recent Rcpp such as 0.9.3 or 0.9.4
2) Let Rcpp create a complete 'stub' of a working package with Rcpp modules
support for you via the Rcpp.package.skeleton.function() with the
module=TRUE argument:
R library(Rcpp)
R Rcpp.package.skeleton(simple, module=TRUE)
Creating directories ...
Creating DESCRIPTION ...
Creating NAMESPACE ...
Creating Read-and-delete-me ...
Saving functions and data ...
Making help files ...
Done.
Further steps are described in './simple/Read-and-delete-me'.
Adding Rcpp settings
added RcppModules: yada
added Depends: Rcpp
added LinkingTo: Rcpp
added useDynLib directive to NAMESPACE
added Makevars file with Rcpp settings
added Makevars.win file with Rcpp settings
added example header file using Rcpp classes
added example src file using Rcpp classes
added example R file calling the C++ example
added Rd file for rcpp_hello_world
copied the example module
R
3) As you are keen to see that we get actual new objects, I am just doing
the minimal code for by adding one for a new class member function:
void showmyaddress() const { std::cout Address is this
std::endl; }
which I add to the class 'World' in file simple/src/rcpp_module.rcpp -- on
line 32 if it matters. I also add this line to the module definition in
the same file on line 62:
.const_method( showmyaddress, World::showmyaddress, get *this ptr
address)
It doesn't matter that the method is const, you can do without const in
both eg
void showmyaddress() { std::cout Address is this std::endl; }
.method( showmyaddress, World::showmyaddress, get *this ptr address)
All that the code does is reveal its pointer to stdout.
4) Install it via
$ R CMD INSTALL simple
5) Try it in R (and I first
R library(simple)
Loading required package: Rcpp
R World
C++ class 'World' 0x2b84940
Constructors:
World()
Fields: No public fields exposed by this class
Methods:
std::string greet()
docstring : get the message
void set(std::string)
docstring : set the message
void showmyaddress() const
docstring : get *this ptr address
R
R w1 - new( World )
R w1$showmyaddress()
Address is 0x2748370
Re: [Rd] Create and access several instances of a C++ class from R
Hello,
Try having do_bar with this signature:
void do_bar(NumericVector data);
And my advice would probably also to have your C field either as a
NumericVector. NumericVector is just a thin wrapper around the internal
R data structure.
Having data members as direct pointers is dangerous and not a very C++
way of doing things.
If you want to learn about the STL, there are many books that cover it
and plenty of online resources. I use this :
http://cplusplus.com/reference/stl/. Using the STL is easier than
dealing with pointers and stuff.
If your game is to pass down a double* to some api you use, you can use
the begin method of NumericVector, this will give you the array pointer
(as would REAL do on the underlying SEXP):
Here's an example:
require( Rcpp )
require( inline )
inc - '
// some third party api function
double foo( double* data, int n){
double sum = 0.0 ;
for( int i=0; in; i++){
sum += data[i] ;
}
return sum ;
}
'
fx - cxxfunction( signature( x_ = numeric ), '
NumericVector x(x_) ;
double sum = foo( x.begin(), x.size() ) ;
return wrap( sum ) ;
', includes = inc, plugin = Rcpp )
I hope this helps, please send other Rcpp questions to the Rcpp-devel
mailing list, where you have more chances to have replies. As an
example, I don't follow R-devel as much as I would like to these days.
Romain
Le 07/05/11 10:41, soeren.vo...@uzh.ch a écrit :
Hello
Thanks again for help!
We have attached version info, code, and contents of 00install.out at the end
of the message. The package can be found here:
http://sovo.md-hh.com/files/Foo.tar.gz
We had followed Dirks explanation in the Rcpp modules vignette and the presentation of
Rcpp modules. The steps there and the ones Dirk listed here are basically the same, and
all worked fine for us, so far. Even more, we have adapted some of the example code to a
class Foo with two methods of interest, do_foo() and do_bar(). We have played around with
various combinations of which method to expose in the module. In the end, exposing
do_foo() works, R CMD CHECK does not complain. (Except for some namespacing error, but
the same happens when I compile the example simple, see below.)
Anyway, if we want the method do_bar() to expose, R CMD CHECK Foo stops with an error that says: cannot
convert ‘SEXPREC*’ to ‘double*’ in initialization. We *guess* that it is pointers as arguments in
methods exposed that cause errors, because there is no wrappers as() and wrap() for
pointers in Rcpp. Indee, we know that our crystal ball may fool us.
Summarising so far, principally, Rcpp modules works for us and coding with this
module is very easy, especially with the help files provided in the package.
However, Rcpp modules does not work if you want to expose methods with pointers
as exposed methods' arguments (we assume). Yet, we have to use pointers, and
rewriting the complete class is no option.
Recently, Dirk gave us the advice to have a look at STL containers. We have googled and found some
information, and looking at it works fine, however, working with it is somewhat
beyond our C++ skills. If the STL things *are* our *only* solution, could some reader
here provide us with a specific solution to exposing do_bar()? Or what else can we do to (1) use the class as
is (because it works with dyn.load as well as in other software outside R) and (2) incorporate things into
Rcpp modules (or other code) anyway?
Thanks for all help!
Sören and Carlo
On 07.05.2011, at 02:39, Dirk Eddelbuettel wrote:
Sören and Carlo,
On 6 May 2011 at 19:24, soeren.vo...@uzh.ch wrote:
| Hello
|
| We have a C++ class with several methods that manipulate an object. How is
| it possible to create several instances of that class *from R* in the C++
| realm, which can then be accessed via a given name character?
Yes it is, and even somewhat easily given Rcpp modules as we tried to explain
over at the Rcpp-devel list when you asked there. As a real quick
proof-of-concept, I did the following:
1) Make sure you have a recent Rcpp such as 0.9.3 or 0.9.4
2) Let Rcpp create a complete 'stub' of a working package with Rcpp modules
support for you via the Rcpp.package.skeleton.function() with the
module=TRUE argument:
R library(Rcpp)
R Rcpp.package.skeleton(simple, module=TRUE)
Creating directories ...
Creating DESCRIPTION ...
Creating NAMESPACE ...
Creating Read-and-delete-me ...
Saving functions and data ...
Making help files ...
Done.
Further steps are described in './simple/Read-and-delete-me'.
Adding Rcpp settings
added RcppModules: yada
added Depends: Rcpp
added LinkingTo: Rcpp
added useDynLib directive to NAMESPACE
added Makevars file with Rcpp settings
added Makevars.win file with Rcpp settings
added example header file using Rcpp classes
added example src file using Rcpp classes
added example R file calling the C++ example
added Rd file for
[Rd] Create and access several instances of a C++ class from R
Hello
We have a C++ class with several methods that manipulate an object. How is it
possible to create several instances of that class *from R* in the C++ realm,
which can then be accessed via a given name character? Symbolic example (we
hope this illustrates our problem):
// C++ side:
class Foo{
...
}
// perhaps:
void my_new_instance_wrapper(the_character) // plain to see that I am no C++
programmer ;-)
{
static Foo the_character; // no return needed since we know the name of the
instance = the_character
}
# R side:
create_new_instance - function(name){
dono_what_to_use_here(???, class)
}
# perhaps:
create_new_instance - function(name){
.C(my_new_instance_wrapper, as.character(name))
}
dyn.load(Foo)
obj1 - create_new_instance(bar, class=Foo)
obj2 - create_new_instance(baz, class=Foo)
str(obj1)
: character which can be manipulated using class methods in the C++ realm
What we do not want: make simple copies of the object in R; use Rcpp modules
(we tried that without success, pointers in constructors cause trouble);
re-write our code such that C++ only works off heavy code, the rest is
R-side. What we want: interfacing (from the R-side) instances of our class
where the instances exist in the C++ realm.
Either there is a function (or code) in R that solve this task, perhaps by
returning pointers to instances of C++ classes. (Or there is a possibility to
create a wrapper in C++ creating a new instance, the wrapper we do not know of.)
Thanks for any notes, tips, experiences.
Sören and Carlo
__
R-devel@r-project.org mailing list
https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-devel
Re: [Rd] Create and access several instances of a C++ class from R
Sören and Carlo,
On 6 May 2011 at 19:24, soeren.vo...@uzh.ch wrote:
| Hello
|
| We have a C++ class with several methods that manipulate an object. How is
| it possible to create several instances of that class *from R* in the C++
| realm, which can then be accessed via a given name character?
Yes it is, and even somewhat easily given Rcpp modules as we tried to explain
over at the Rcpp-devel list when you asked there. As a real quick
proof-of-concept, I did the following:
1) Make sure you have a recent Rcpp such as 0.9.3 or 0.9.4
2) Let Rcpp create a complete 'stub' of a working package with Rcpp modules
support for you via the Rcpp.package.skeleton.function() with the
module=TRUE argument:
R library(Rcpp)
R Rcpp.package.skeleton(simple, module=TRUE)
Creating directories ...
Creating DESCRIPTION ...
Creating NAMESPACE ...
Creating Read-and-delete-me ...
Saving functions and data ...
Making help files ...
Done.
Further steps are described in './simple/Read-and-delete-me'.
Adding Rcpp settings
added RcppModules: yada
added Depends: Rcpp
added LinkingTo: Rcpp
added useDynLib directive to NAMESPACE
added Makevars file with Rcpp settings
added Makevars.win file with Rcpp settings
added example header file using Rcpp classes
added example src file using Rcpp classes
added example R file calling the C++ example
added Rd file for rcpp_hello_world
copied the example module
R
3) As you are keen to see that we get actual new objects, I am just doing
the minimal code for by adding one for a new class member function:
void showmyaddress() const { std::cout Address is this
std::endl; }
which I add to the class 'World' in file simple/src/rcpp_module.rcpp -- on
line 32 if it matters. I also add this line to the module definition in
the same file on line 62:
.const_method( showmyaddress, World::showmyaddress, get *this ptr
address)
It doesn't matter that the method is const, you can do without const in
both eg
void showmyaddress() { std::cout Address is this std::endl; }
.method( showmyaddress, World::showmyaddress, get *this ptr address)
All that the code does is reveal its pointer to stdout.
4) Install it via
$ R CMD INSTALL simple
5) Try it in R (and I first
R library(simple)
Loading required package: Rcpp
R World
C++ class 'World' 0x2b84940
Constructors:
World()
Fields: No public fields exposed by this class
Methods:
std::string greet()
docstring : get the message
void set(std::string)
docstring : set the message
void showmyaddress() const
docstring : get *this ptr address
R
R w1 - new( World )
R w1$showmyaddress()
Address is 0x2748370
R
R w2 - new( World )
R w2$showmyaddress()
Address is 0x2f960b0
R
so w1 and w2 are indeed objects of class World which live in different
memory locations.
This should show the mechanics. This is somewhat easy -- especially if you
know some C++ where it then helps you from having to write boiler plate code.
If you are relatively new to C and C++, it can be a little tougher. Either
way, to my mind it is shorter (and I'd argue, easier) than anything you could
do in plain C with the standard R API.
Good luck, and please bring Rcpp questions to rcpp-devel.
Regards, Dirk
| Symbolic example (we hope this illustrates our problem):
|
| // C++ side:
| class Foo{
| ...
| }
| // perhaps:
| void my_new_instance_wrapper(the_character) // plain to see that I am no
C++ programmer ;-)
| {
| static Foo the_character; // no return needed since we know the name of
the instance = the_character
| }
|
| # R side:
| create_new_instance - function(name){
| dono_what_to_use_here(???, class)
| }
| # perhaps:
| create_new_instance - function(name){
| .C(my_new_instance_wrapper, as.character(name))
| }
|
| dyn.load(Foo)
| obj1 - create_new_instance(bar, class=Foo)
| obj2 - create_new_instance(baz, class=Foo)
| str(obj1)
| : character which can be manipulated using class methods in the C++ realm
|
| What we do not want: make simple copies of the object in R; use Rcpp modules
(we tried that without success, pointers in constructors cause trouble);
re-write our code such that C++ only works off heavy code, the rest is
R-side. What we want: interfacing (from the R-side) instances of our class
where the instances exist in the C++ realm.
|
| Either there is a function (or code) in R that solve this task, perhaps by
returning pointers to instances of C++ classes. (Or there is a possibility to
create a wrapper in C++ creating a new instance, the wrapper we do not know of.)
|
| Thanks for any notes, tips, experiences.
|
| Sören and Carlo
|
| __
| R-devel@r-project.org mailing list
|
