eventpp/doc/callbacklist.md

Class CallbackList reference

Tutorials

CallbackList tutorial 1, basic

Code

// The namespace is eventpp
// the first parameter is the prototype of the listener.
eventpp::CallbackList<void ()> callbackList;

// Add a callback.
// []() {} is the callback.
// Lambda is not required, any function or std::function
// or whatever function object with the required prototype is fine.
callbackList.append([]() {
	std::cout << "Got callback 1." << std::endl;
});
callbackList.append([]() {
	std::cout << "Got callback 2." << std::endl;
});

// Invoke the callback list
callbackList();

Output

Got callback 1.
Got callback 2.

Remarks
First let's define a callback list.

eventpp::CallbackList<void ()> callbackList;

class CallbackList takes at least one template arguments. It is the prototype of the callback.
The prototype is C++ function type, such as void (int), void (const std::string &, const MyClass &, int, bool).

Now let's add a callback.

callbackList.append([]() {
	std::cout << "Got callback 1." << std::endl;
});

Function append takes one arguments, the callback.
The callback can be any callback target -- functions, pointers to functions, , pointers to member functions, lambda expressions, and function objects. It must be able to be called with the prototype declared in callbackList.
In the tutorial, we also add another callback.

Now let's invoke the callbackList.

callbackList();

During the invoking, all callbacks will be invoked one by one in the order of they were added.

CallbackList tutorial 2, callback with parameters

Code

// The callback list has two parameters.
eventpp::CallbackList<void (const std::string &, const bool)> callbackList;

callbackList.append([](const std::string & s, const bool b) {
	std::cout << std::boolalpha << "Got callback 1, s is " << s << " b is " << b << std::endl;
});
// The callback prototype doesn't need to be exactly same as the callback list.
// It would be find as long as the arguments is compatible with the dispatcher.
callbackList.append([](std::string s, int b) {
	std::cout << std::boolalpha << "Got callback 2, s is " << s << " b is " << b << std::endl;
});

// Invoke the callback list
callbackList("Hello world", true);

Output

Got callback 1, s is Hello world b is true
Got callback 2, s is Hello world b is 1

Remarks
Now the callback list prototype takes two parameters, const std::string & and const bool.
The callback's prototype is not required to be same as the callback list, it's fine as long as the prototype is compatible with the callback list. See the second callback, [](std::string s, int b), its prototype is not same as the callback list.

CallbackList tutorial 3, remove

Code

using CL = eventpp::CallbackList<void ()>;
CL callbackList;

CL::Handle handle2;

// Add some callbacks.
callbackList.append([]() {
	std::cout << "Got callback 1." << std::endl;
});
handle2 = callbackList.append([]() {
	std::cout << "Got callback 2." << std::endl;
});
callbackList.append([]() {
	std::cout << "Got callback 3." << std::endl;
});

callbackList.remove(handle2);

// Invoke the callback list
// The "Got callback 2" callback should not be triggered.
callbackList();

Output

Got callback 1.
Got callback 3.

Remarks

CallbackList tutorial 4, for each

Code

using CL = eventpp::CallbackList<void ()>;
CL callbackList;

// Add some callbacks.
callbackList.append([]() {
	std::cout << "Got callback 1." << std::endl;
});
callbackList.append([]() {
	std::cout << "Got callback 2." << std::endl;
});
callbackList.append([]() {
	std::cout << "Got callback 3." << std::endl;
});

// Now call forEach to remove the second callback
// The forEach callback prototype is void(const CallbackList::Handle & handle, const CallbackList::Callback & callback)
int index = 0;
callbackList.forEach([&callbackList, &index](const CL::Handle & handle, const CL::Callback & callback) {
	std::cout << "forEach(Handle, Callback), invoked " << index << std::endl;
	if(index == 1) {
		callbackList.remove(handle);
		std::cout << "forEach(Handle, Callback), removed second callback" << std::endl;
	}
	++index;
});

// The forEach callback prototype can also be void(const CallbackList::Handle & handle)
callbackList.forEach([&callbackList, &index](const CL::Handle & handle) {
	std::cout << "forEach(Handle), invoked" << std::endl;
});

// The forEach callback prototype can also be void(const CallbackList::Callback & callback)
callbackList.forEach([&callbackList, &index](const CL::Callback & callback) {
	std::cout << "forEach(Callback), invoked" << std::endl;
});

// Invoke the callback list
// The "Got callback 2" callback should not be triggered.
callbackList();

Output

Got callback 1.
Got callback 3.

Remarks

API reference

Template parameters

template <
	typename Prototype,
	typename Callback = void,
	typename Threading = MultipleThreading
>
class CallbackList;

Prototype: the callback prototype. It's C++ function type such as void(int, std::string, const MyClass *).
Callback: the underlying type to hold the callback. Default is void, which will be expanded to std::function.
Threading: threading model. Default is 'MultipleThreading'. Possible values:

• MultipleThreading: the core data is protected with mutex. It's the default value.
• SingleThreading: the core data is not protected and can't be accessed from multiple threads.

Public types

Handle: the handle type returned by appendListener, prependListener and insertListener. A handle can be used to insert a callback or remove a callback. To check if a Handle is empty, convert it to boolean, false is empty. Handle is copyable.
Callback: the callback storage type.

Functions

CallbackList() = default;
CallbackList(CallbackList &&) = delete;
CallbackList(const CallbackList &) = delete;
CallbackList & operator = (const CallbackList &) = delete;

CallbackList can not be copied, moved, or assigned.

Handle append(const Callback & callback)

Add the callback to the callback list.
The callback is added to the end of the callback list.
Return a handle which represents the callback. The handle can be used to remove this callback or insert other callback before this callback.
If append is called in another callback during the invoking of the callback list, the new callback is guaranteed not triggered during the same callback list invoking.
The time complexity is O(1).

Handle prepend(const Callback & callback)

Add the callback to the callback list.
The callback is added to the beginning of the callback list.
Return a handle which represents the callback. The handle can be used to remove this callback or insert other callback before this callback.
If prepend is called in another callback during the invoking of the callback list, the new callback is guaranteed not triggered during the same callback list invoking.
The time complexity is O(1).

Handle insert(const Callback & callback, const Handle before)

Insert the callback to the callback list before the callback handle before. If before is not found, callback is added at the end of the callback list.
Return a handle which represents the callback. The handle can be used to remove this callback or insert other callback before this callback.
If insert is called in another callback during the invoking of the callback list, the new callback is guaranteed not triggered during the same callback list invoking.
The time complexity is O(1).

bool remove(const Handle handle)

Remove the callback handle from the callback list.
Return true if the callback is removed successfully, false if the callback is not found.
The time complexity is O(1).

template <typename Func>  
void forEach(Func && func)

Apply func to all callbacks.
The func can be one of the three prototypes:

AnyReturnType func(const EventDispatcher::Handle &, const EventDispatcher::Callback &);
AnyReturnType func(const EventDispatcher::Handle &);
AnyReturnType func(const EventDispatcher::Callback &);

Note: the func can remove any callbacks, or add other callbacks, safely.

void operator() (Args ...args)

Invoke each callbacks in the callback list.
The callbacks are called with arguments args.
The callbacks are called in the thread same as the callee of operator().

Nested callback safety

1. If a callback adds another callback to the callback list during a invoking, the new callback is guaranteed not to be triggered within the same invoking. This is guaranteed by an unsigned 64 bits integer counter. This rule will be broken is the counter is overflowed to zero in a invoking, but this rule will continue working on the subsequence invoking.
2. Any callbacks that are removed during a invoking are guaranteed not triggered.
3. All above points are not true in multiple threading. That's to say, if one thread is dispatching an event, the other thread add or remove a listener, the added or removed listener may be triggered during the dispatch.

Thread safety

CallbackList is thread safe. All public functions can be invoked from multiple threads simultaneously. If it failed, please report a bug.
CallbackList guarantees the integration of each append/prepend/insert/remove/invoking operations, but it doesn't guarantee the order of the operations in multiple threads. For example, if a thread is invoking a callback list, the other thread removes a callback in the mean time, the removed callback may be still triggered after it's removed.
The operations on the listeners, such as copying, moving, comparing, or invoking, may be not thread safe. It depends on listeners.

Exception safety

CallbackList doesn't throw any exceptions.
Exceptions may be thrown by underlying code when,

1. Out of memory, new memory can't be allocated.
2. The callbacks throw exceptions during copying, moving, comparing, or invoking.

Time complexities

• append: O(1)
• prepend: O(1)
• insert: O(1)
• remove: O(1)

Internal data structure

CallbackList uses doubly linked list to manage the callbacks.
Each node is linked by shared pointer. Using shared pointer allows the node be removed while iterating.