I'm trying to instigate a simple State pattern, after following some of the excellent tutorials here: http://gameprogrammingpatterns.com/state.html
I am half way through this current tutorial, and I am trying to replicate the static instances of each state, by containing them within the base class. However, when it comes to switching states, g++ is throwing this error.
state_test.cpp: In member function ‘virtual void Introduction::handleinput(Game&, int)’:
state_test.cpp:55:16: error: cannot convert ‘Playing*’ to ‘GameState*’ in assignment
game.state_ = &GameState::play;
^
Now, I understand the error involves the conversion of the pointer, but I am really struggling to see how to fix it. As I was following this guys code, I kind of expected it to work, but because he is changing it as he goes along and trying to reinforce best practice, I don't have his complete source code to follow. However, I feel it is important for me to understand the code at this stage, before I move through the rest of the tutorial.
Following is the code I created, attempting to replicate his state system:
#include <iostream>
class Game;
class Introduction;
class Playing;
class GameState
{
public:
static Introduction intro;
static Playing play;
virtual ~GameState() {std::cout << "an undefined GameState has been destroyed" << std::endl;}
virtual void handleinput(Game& game, int arbitary) {}
virtual void update(Game& game) {}
};
class Game
{
public:
Game()
{}
~Game()
{}
virtual void handleinput(int arbitary)
{
state_->handleinput(*this, arbitary);
}
virtual void update()
{
state_->update(*this);
}
//private:
GameState* state_;
};
class Introduction : public GameState
{
public:
Introduction()
{
std::cout << "constructed Introduction state" << std::endl;
}
virtual void handleinput(Game& game, int arbitary)
{
if (arbitary == 1)
game.state_ = &GameState::play;
}
virtual void update(Game& game) {}
};
class Playing : public GameState
{
public:
Playing() {std::cout << "constructed Playing state" << std::endl;}
virtual void handleinput(Game& game, int arbitary)
{
if (arbitary == 0)
game.state_ = &GameState::intro;
}
virtual void update(Game& game) {}
};
int main(int argc, char const *argv[])
{
Game thisgame;
return 0;
}
Any ideas why my implementation isn't compiling?
EDIT:
So in response to the earlier tutoring, for which I was very grateful, I revised the code. I start by putting it all in separate files, but this was more trouble than it was worth for such a small amount of test code. I simply rewrote one header file which declared the classes, and then defined them in the .cpp file.
Here is the .h file:
class Introduction;
class Playing;
class Game;
class GameState;
class GameState
{
public:
static Introduction intro;
static Playing play;
virtual ~GameState();
virtual void handleinput(Game& game, int arbitary);
virtual void update(Game& game);
};
class Introduction : public GameState
{
public:
Introduction();
virtual void handleinput(Game& game, int arbitary);
virtual void update(Game& game);
};
class Playing : public GameState
{
public:
Playing();
virtual void handleinput(Game& game, int arbitary);
virtual void update(Game& game);
};
class Game
{
public:
Game();
~Game();
virtual void handleinput(int arbitary);
virtual void update();
GameState* state_;
};
And here is the .cpp file:
#include <iostream>
#include "state.h"
GameState::~GameState()
{std::cout << "Exiting Game State Instance" << std::endl;}
void GameState::handleinput(Game& game, int arbitary)
{}
void GameState::update(Game& game)
{}
Game::Game()
{}
Game::~Game()
{}
void Game::handleinput(int arbitary)
{
state_->handleinput(*this, arbitary);
}
void Game::update()
{
state_->update(*this);
}
Introduction::Introduction()
{
std::cout << "constructed Introduction state" << std::endl;
}
void Introduction::handleinput(Game& game, int arbitary)
{
if (arbitary == 1)
game.state_ = &GameState::play;
}
void Introduction::update(Game& game) {}
Playing::Playing()
{
std::cout << "constructed Playing state" << std::endl;
}
void Playing::handleinput(Game& game, int arbitary)
{
if (arbitary == 0)
game.state_ = &GameState::intro;
}
void Playing::update(Game& game) {}
int main(int argc, char const *argv[])
{
Game mygame;
return 0;
}
And I still can't get it to work. The previous error has gone away, but I am struggling to access the static instances of "introduction" and playing inside of the base class. The error thrown is:
/tmp/ccH87ioX.o: In function `Introduction::handleinput(Game&, int)':
state_test.cpp:(.text+0x1a9): undefined reference to `GameState::play'
/tmp/ccH87ioX.o: In function `Playing::handleinput(Game&, int)':
state_test.cpp:(.text+0x23f): undefined reference to `GameState::intro'
collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status
I thought i had it sussed! So frustrated!
I should add that the answer provided by RustyX does compile, however I have to move the instances of "playing" and "introduction" outside of the class definition, and I can then no longer set them to be static, I believe this is important because I only need one instance of each and I would like them to be initialised as early as possible.
