note
	description: "[
		Abstraction for weak references, i.e. references to object that can still be reclaimed by the GC.
		If the actual generic parameter is expanded, put cannot be used as it does not make sense from the user
		point of view.
	]"
	status: "See notice at end of class."
	library: "Free implementation of ELKS library"
	legal: "See notice at end of class."
	date: "$Date: 2013-05-20 23:15:17 +0000 (Mon, 20 May 2013) $"
	revision: "$Revision: 92557 $"

class interface
	WEAK_REFERENCE [G]

create 
	default_create
			-- Process instances of classes with no creation clause.
			-- (Default: do nothing.)
			-- (from ANY)

	put (v: G)
			-- New weak reference to v.
		require
			v_not_void: v /= Void
			not_expanded: not ({G}).is_expanded
		ensure
			item_set: item = v

feature -- Initialization

	put (v: G)
			-- New weak reference to v.
		require
			v_not_void: v /= Void
			not_expanded: not ({G}).is_expanded
		ensure
			item_set: item = v
	
feature -- Access

	generating_type: TYPE [detachable WEAK_REFERENCE [G]]
			-- Type of current object
			-- (type of which it is a direct instance)
			-- (from ANY)
		ensure -- from ANY
			generating_type_not_void: Result /= Void

	generator: STRING_8
			-- Name of current object's generating class
			-- (base class of the type of which it is a direct instance)
			-- (from ANY)
		ensure -- from ANY
			generator_not_void: Result /= Void
			generator_not_empty: not Result.is_empty

	item: detachable G
			-- Current reference if still alive. Void otherwise
		require
			not_expanded: not ({G}).is_expanded
	
feature -- Comparison

	frozen deep_equal (a: detachable ANY; b: like arg #1): BOOLEAN
			-- Are a and b either both void
			-- or attached to isomorphic object structures?
			-- (from ANY)
		ensure -- from ANY
			instance_free: class
			shallow_implies_deep: standard_equal (a, b) implies Result
			both_or_none_void: (a = Void) implies (Result = (b = Void))
			same_type: (Result and (a /= Void)) implies (b /= Void and then a.same_type (b))
			symmetric: Result implies deep_equal (b, a)

	frozen equal (a: detachable ANY; b: like arg #1): BOOLEAN
			-- Are a and b either both void or attached
			-- to objects considered equal?
			-- (from ANY)
		ensure -- from ANY
			instance_free: class
			definition: Result = (a = Void and b = Void) or else ((a /= Void and b /= Void) and then a.is_equal (b))

	frozen is_deep_equal alias "≡≡≡" (other: WEAK_REFERENCE [G]): BOOLEAN
			-- Are Current and other attached to isomorphic object structures?
			-- (from ANY)
		require -- from ANY
			other_not_void: other /= Void
		ensure -- from ANY
			shallow_implies_deep: standard_is_equal (other) implies Result
			same_type: Result implies same_type (other)
			symmetric: Result implies other.is_deep_equal (Current)

	is_equal (other: WEAK_REFERENCE [G]): BOOLEAN
			-- Is other attached to an object considered
			-- equal to current object?
			-- (from ANY)
		require -- from ANY
			other_not_void: other /= Void
		ensure -- from ANY
			symmetric: Result implies other ~ Current
			consistent: standard_is_equal (other) implies Result

	frozen standard_equal (a: detachable ANY; b: like arg #1): BOOLEAN
			-- Are a and b either both void or attached to
			-- field-by-field identical objects of the same type?
			-- Always uses default object comparison criterion.
			-- (from ANY)
		ensure -- from ANY
			instance_free: class
			definition: Result = (a = Void and b = Void) or else ((a /= Void and b /= Void) and then a.standard_is_equal (b))

	frozen standard_is_equal alias "" (other: WEAK_REFERENCE [G]): BOOLEAN
			-- Is other attached to an object of the same type
			-- as current object, and field-by-field identical to it?
			-- (from ANY)
		require -- from ANY
			other_not_void: other /= Void
		ensure -- from ANY
			same_type: Result implies same_type (other)
			symmetric: Result implies other.standard_is_equal (Current)
	
feature -- Status report

	conforms_to (other: ANY): BOOLEAN
			-- Does type of current object conform to type
			-- of other (as per Eiffel: The Language, chapter 13)?
			-- (from ANY)
		require -- from ANY
			other_not_void: other /= Void

	exists: BOOLEAN
			-- Is current reference still alive?
		ensure
			not_present: not Result implies item = Void

	same_type (other: ANY): BOOLEAN
			-- Is type of current object identical to type of other?
			-- (from ANY)
		require -- from ANY
			other_not_void: other /= Void
		ensure -- from ANY
			definition: Result = (conforms_to (other) and other.conforms_to (Current))
	
feature -- Removal

	clear
			-- Remove existing weak reference.
		require -- from  DISPOSABLE
			True
		ensure then
			removed: not exists
	
feature -- Duplication

	copy (other: WEAK_REFERENCE [G])
			-- Update current object using fields of object attached
			-- to other, so as to yield equal objects.
			-- (from ANY)
		require -- from ANY
			other_not_void: other /= Void
			type_identity: same_type (other)
		ensure -- from ANY
			is_equal: Current ~ other

	frozen deep_copy (other: WEAK_REFERENCE [G])
			-- Effect equivalent to that of:
			--		copy (other . deep_twin)
			-- (from ANY)
		require -- from ANY
			other_not_void: other /= Void
		ensure -- from ANY
			deep_equal: deep_equal (Current, other)

	frozen deep_twin: WEAK_REFERENCE [G]
			-- New object structure recursively duplicated from Current.
			-- (from ANY)
		ensure -- from ANY
			deep_twin_not_void: Result /= Void
			deep_equal: deep_equal (Current, Result)

	frozen standard_copy (other: WEAK_REFERENCE [G])
			-- Copy every field of other onto corresponding field
			-- of current object.
			-- (from ANY)
		require -- from ANY
			other_not_void: other /= Void
			type_identity: same_type (other)
		ensure -- from ANY
			is_standard_equal: standard_is_equal (other)

	frozen standard_twin: WEAK_REFERENCE [G]
			-- New object field-by-field identical to other.
			-- Always uses default copying semantics.
			-- (from ANY)
		ensure -- from ANY
			standard_twin_not_void: Result /= Void
			equal: standard_equal (Result, Current)

	frozen twin: WEAK_REFERENCE [G]
			-- New object equal to Current
			-- twin calls copy; to change copying/twinning semantics, redefine copy.
			-- (from ANY)
		ensure -- from ANY
			twin_not_void: Result /= Void
			is_equal: Result ~ Current
	
feature -- Basic operations

	frozen default: detachable WEAK_REFERENCE [G]
			-- Default value of object's type
			-- (from ANY)

	frozen default_pointer: POINTER
			-- Default value of type POINTER
			-- (Avoid the need to write p.default for
			-- some p of type POINTER.)
			-- (from ANY)
		ensure -- from ANY
			instance_free: class

	default_rescue
			-- Process exception for routines with no Rescue clause.
			-- (Default: do nothing.)
			-- (from ANY)

	frozen do_nothing
			-- Execute a null action.
			-- (from ANY)
		ensure -- from ANY
			instance_free: class
	
feature -- Output

	Io: STD_FILES
			-- Handle to standard file setup
			-- (from ANY)
		ensure -- from ANY
			instance_free: class
			io_not_void: Result /= Void

	out: STRING_8
			-- New string containing terse printable representation
			-- of current object
			-- (from ANY)
		ensure -- from ANY
			out_not_void: Result /= Void

	print (o: detachable ANY)
			-- Write terse external representation of o
			-- on standard output.
			-- (from ANY)
		ensure -- from ANY
			instance_free: class

	frozen tagged_out: STRING_8
			-- New string containing terse printable representation
			-- of current object
			-- (from ANY)
		ensure -- from ANY
			tagged_out_not_void: Result /= Void
	
feature -- Platform

	Operating_environment: OPERATING_ENVIRONMENT
			-- Objects available from the operating system
			-- (from ANY)
		ensure -- from ANY
			instance_free: class
			operating_environment_not_void: Result /= Void
	
invariant
		-- from ANY
	reflexive_equality: standard_is_equal (Current)
	reflexive_conformance: conforms_to (Current)

note
	copyright: "Copyright (c) 1984-2012, Eiffel Software and others"
	license: "Eiffel Forum License v2 (see http://www.eiffel.com/licensing/forum.txt)"
	source: "[
		Eiffel Software
		5949 Hollister Ave., Goleta, CA 93117 USA
		Telephone 805-685-1006, Fax 805-685-6869
		Website http://www.eiffel.com
		Customer support http://support.eiffel.com
	]"

end -- class WEAK_REFERENCE

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