OOP: How to let a bunch of methods behave differently depending in the type of input?

Let's imagine we have a Class called OOP_Base and lots of subclasses like "OOP_Mult5" that implement the "Apply" Method defined "abstract" in the OOP_Base class.

I like to convert accidental char inputs for all those classes to double. I don't want to implement a isa(in,'char') in all hundred methods "OOP_Mult5" and so on.

Is it possible to put the "isa()"-query and a str2num() if the input is char in the OOP_Base for all subclasses?

% OOP_Base:
classdef OOP_Base
    methods (Abstract = true)
        result = Apply(in)
    end
end

classdef OOP_Mult5 < OOP_Base
    methods (Static = true)
        function result = Apply(in)
            result = 5*in;
        end
    end
end

P.S.: This is just an example to illustrate my problem. In reality I have to deal with lots of filters that should work with a special "Image"-class but also with simple R,G,B vectors.

Thank you very much in advance for your help,

Jan

Answer 1

[Matt J]

Instead of making Apply() abstract, make it call abstract functions:

classdef OOP_Base

     methods result=Apply(in)

       if ischar(in), in=str2num(in); end

       result=ApplyMain(in);

     end

      methods (Abstract = true)
          result = ApplyMain(in)
      end

end

classdef OOP_Mult5 < OOP_Base
    methods (Static = true)
        function result = ApplyMain(in)
            result = 5*in;
        end
    end
end

Answer 2

[Jan Froehlich]

Hi Matt,

thank you very much, I had to play around a bit with your code but now it works fine:

classdef A
    methods
        function Apply(this,in)
            disp('In abstract parent');
            if isa(in,'char'), in=str2double(in); disp('Is char'); end
            if isa(in,'double'), disp('Is double'); end
            disp(mfilename('class'))
            this.ApplyWorker(in);
        end
    end
    methods(Abstract,Static)
        ApplyWorker(in);
    end
end

classdef B < A
    methods (Static = true)
        function ApplyWorker(in)
            disp('In B');
            disp(in*5);
        end
    end
end

classdef C < A
    methods (Static = true)
        function ApplyWorker(in)
            disp('In C');
            disp(in*10)
        end
    end
end

Typing:

clear classes
b = B;
c = C;
b.Apply(2)
b.Apply('2')
c.Apply(2)
c.Apply('2')

results in:

In abstract parent

Is double

A

In B

    10

In abstract parent

Is char

Is double

A

In B

    10

In abstract parent

Is double

A

In C

    20

In abstract parent

Is char

Is double

A

In C

    20

Thanks again for your fast help!

Jan