Hi All,

I want to write an universel toString() method for debugging propose. However I cannot write in one version. The compiler says error all the time. Could someone tell me, how to write an universel one?

What I want, is to convert primtive types (int, int*, bool, bool*, etc.) to
string using "tango.text.Convert.to()" and convert object to string by
calling obj.toString.


----------------------- my current version -------------------------
public char[] toS(int* val)
{
    if (val is null)
        return "NULL";
    return to!(char[])(*val);
}

public char[] toS(Object val)
{
    if (val is null)
        return "NULL";
    return val.toString;
}

public char[] toS(char[] val)
{
    if (val is null)
        return "NULL";
    return val;
}

public char[] toS(int val)
{
    return to!(char[])(val);
}

public char[] toS(bool val)
{
    return to!(char[])(val);
}
----------------------- my current version -------------------------



Best regards
--Qian Xu

Qian Xu wrote:
> Hi All,
> 
> I want to write an universel toString() method for debugging propose. However I cannot write in one version. The compiler says error all the time. Could someone tell me, how to write an universel one?
> 
> What I want, is to convert primtive types (int, int*, bool, bool*, etc.) to
> string using "tango.text.Convert.to()" and convert object to string by
> calling obj.toString.
>
> ...
> 
> Best regards
> --Qian Xu

to!(char[]) should call toString.  to!(T) should support all atomic
types, strings, structs and classes.

  -- Daniel

Daniel Keep wrote:
> 
> Qian Xu wrote:
>> Hi All,
>>
>> I want to write an universel toString() method for debugging propose.
>> However I cannot write in one version. The compiler says error all the time.
>> Could someone tell me, how to write an universel one?
>>
>> What I want, is to convert primtive types (int, int*, bool, bool*, etc.) to
>> string using "tango.text.Convert.to()" and convert object to string by
>> calling obj.toString.
>>
>> ...
>>
>> Best regards
>> --Qian Xu
> 
> to!(char[]) should call toString.  to!(T) should support all atomic
> types, strings, structs and classes.

So to!(char[])(x) almost like format("%s", x)?

>   -- Daniel

grauzone wrote:
> Daniel Keep wrote:
>>
>> Qian Xu wrote:
>>> Hi All,
>>>
>>> I want to write an universel toString() method for debugging propose.
>>> However I cannot write in one version. The compiler says error all
>>> the time.
>>> Could someone tell me, how to write an universel one?
>>>
>>> What I want, is to convert primtive types (int, int*, bool, bool*,
>>> etc.) to
>>> string using "tango.text.Convert.to()" and convert object to string by
>>> calling obj.toString.
>>>
>>> ...
>>>
>>> Best regards
>>> --Qian Xu
>>
>> to!(char[]) should call toString.  to!(T) should support all atomic
>> types, strings, structs and classes.
> 
> So to!(char[])(x) almost like format("%s", x)?
> 
>>   -- Daniel

Probably something like
tango.text.convert.Format.Format.convert("{0}",x) for Tango.

Actually, that's not entirely true.  to!(char[]) won't convert pointers
or arrays.

Sorry; the brain switched off as soon as I saw "I have to special-case to" :P

  -- Daniel

Daniel Keep wrote:
> 
> to!(char[]) should call toString.  to!(T) should support all atomic
> types, strings, structs and classes.
> 

There is one problem: I have to check, whether a pointer is NULL.
If it is NULL, I should return "NULL", otherwise I should call to!(char[]
(*my_pointer_var)

I want to save this check.

The problem has been solved.

There is a wonderfull function in Tango.

--------------------------------------------
import tango.text.convert.Format;

class Foo {
  // attributes go here...
  public char[] toString() {
    return Format.convert(".... {} .. {} ..", attr1, attr2, attr3);
  }
}
--------------------------------------------

This works perfect with all data types.