IO_BaseClass.h

//--------------------------------------------------------------------------
#ifndef HEPMC_IO_BASECLASS_H
#define HEPMC_IO_BASECLASS_H

// Matt.Dobbs@Cern.CH, November 1999, refer to:
// M. Dobbs and J.B. Hansen, "The HepMC C++ Monte Carlo Event Record for
// High Energy Physics", Computer Physics Communications (to be published).
//
// event input/output base class
//
// class from which all input/output classes shall inherit from.
// i.e.: if you want to write events to hbook ntuples,
//              then inherit from this class and re-define read_event()
//              and write_event()
//
// (Possible extension: Could make this an input iterator)
//

#include <iostream>
#include "HepMC/GenEvent.h"

namespace HepMC {


    class IO_BaseClass {
    public:
        virtual ~IO_BaseClass() {}

        virtual void write_event( const GenEvent* ) =0;
        virtual bool fill_next_event( GenEvent* ) =0;
        virtual void print( std::ostream& ostr = std::cout ) const;
        //
        // the read_next_event() differs from
        // the fill_***() methods in that it creates a new event
        // before calling the  corresponding fill_*** method
        // (they are not intended to be over-ridden)
        GenEvent*    read_next_event();  
        //
        // The overloaded stream operators >>,<< are identical to
        //   read_next_event and write_event methods respectively.
        //   (or read_particle_data_table and write_particle_data_table)
        // the event argument for the overloaded stream operators is a pointer,
        // which is passed by reference.
        //  i.e.  GenEvent* evt; 
        //        io >> evt; 
        // will give the expected result.
        // (note: I don't see any reason to have separate const and non-const
        //  versions of operator<<, but the pedantic ansi standard insists 
        //  on it) 
        virtual       GenEvent*& operator>>( GenEvent*& );
        virtual const GenEvent*& operator<<( const GenEvent*& );
        virtual       GenEvent*& operator<<( GenEvent*& );
    };

    // Inlines  //

    inline GenEvent* IO_BaseClass::read_next_event() {
        // 
        // 1. create an empty event container
        GenEvent* evt = new GenEvent();
        // 2. fill the evt container - if the read is successful, return the
        //    pointer, otherwise return null and delete the evt
        if ( fill_next_event( evt ) ) return evt;
        // note: the below delete is only reached if read fails
        //       ... thus there is not much overhead in new then delete 
        //       since this statement is rarely reached
        delete evt;
        return 0;
    }

    inline void IO_BaseClass::print( std::ostream& ostr ) const { 
        ostr << "IO_BaseClass: abstract parent I/O class. " <<  std::endl;
    }

    inline GenEvent*& IO_BaseClass::operator>>( GenEvent*& evt ){
        evt = read_next_event();
        return evt;
    }

    inline const GenEvent*& IO_BaseClass::operator<<(
                                              const GenEvent*& evt ) {
        write_event( evt );
        return evt;
    }

    inline GenEvent*& IO_BaseClass::operator<<( GenEvent*& evt ) {
        write_event( evt );
        return evt;
    }

} // HepMC

#endif  // HEPMC_IO_BASECLASS_H
//--------------------------------------------------------------------------