Provided by: libbobcat-dev_3.19.01-1ubuntu1_amd64 bug

NAME

       FBB::Mstream - Generic message handling stream

SYNOPSIS

       #include <bobcat/mstream>
       Linking option: -lbobcat

DESCRIPTION

       Objects of this class may be used to handle messages in a standardized way. Messages may be prefixed with
       order numbers and labels and/or line numbers. Messages generated by Mstream objects may optionally end in
       an exception, allowing simple implementation of, e.g., fatal error messages.

       Four  message  streams  are  provided  by  the BOBCAT library and may be used after including the mstream
       header file. They are all defined in the FBB namespace:

       o      FBB::emsg for generating standard (labeled and numbered) error messages, e.g.

              [Error 1] this is an error message

       o      FBB::fmsg for generating (labeled) fatal error messages, ending in an exception, e.g.,

              [Fatal] this fatal message is followed by an exception

       o      FBB::imsg for generating plain informational messages, e.g.,

              this is a plain message

       o      FBB::wmsg for generating (labeled) warning messages;

              [Warning] this is a warning

              By default all messages are inserted into the  standard  output  stream,  but  other  destinations
              (standard error, a named file, etc.) can easily be configured.

       Mstream  objects  themselves are std::ostream objects, so they can be used as objects passed to functions
       expecting ostream arguments. Messages inserted into Mstream objects are  buffered  until  the  buffer  is
       flushed  by  their  std::ostream  parts  or  when either the FBB::endl or FBB::flush is inserted into the
       message stream. Since these manipulators act like std::endl and std::flush  when  inserted  into  another
       kind  of std::ostream object, using FBB::endl and using FBB::flush might be worth considering. Also, when
       using namespace std and using namespace FBB is specified the FBB::endl and  FBB::flush  manipulator  will
       automatically be used with Mstream objects.

       Messages  inserted  into  Mstream  objects  are considered completed at the insertion of the FBB::endl or
       FBB::flush manipulators. Message labels, line number labels and line numbers will only be shown  for  the
       next  line  after  these manipulators have been inserted and exceptions are, if needed, thrown from these
       manipulators.

NAMESPACE

       FBB
       All elements mentioned in this man-page, are defined in the namespace FBB.

INHERITS FROM

       std::ostream

CONSTRUCTORS

       o      Mstream():
              The default constructor generates messages using the std::streambuf used by std::cout. There is no
              limit to the number of messages that may be inserted. No message or line  numbers  are  shown,  no
              exception are thrown when inserting messages.

       o      explicit   Mstream(std::ostream   &ostr,  size_t  maxCount  =  std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max(),
              std::string const &tag = "", bool throwing = false):
              This constructor uses the std::streambuf that is also used by the ostream ostr. By default  (using
              the  default argument values) there is no limit to the number of messages that may be inserted. No
              message or line numbers are shown, no exception are thrown when inserting messages. Specifying any
              other value than std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max() will set the maximum number of  messages  that
              can  be  inserted to that value. The tag defines the text of the message label (e.g., Error). When
              throwing is specified as true an FBB::Exception exception is thrown after  completing  a  message.
              The  generated  exception  holds  the  id (see below for the member id) of the Mstream object from
              which the exception was thrown as well as the text FBB::Mstream.

       o      explicit  Mstream(std::streambuf  &buf,  size_t  maxCount  =   std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max(),
              std::string const &tag = "", bool throwing = false):
              This constructor uses buf to insert messages into. The remaining parameters are identical to those
              of the previous constructor.

       o      explicit  Mstream(std::string  const  &name, size_t maxCount = std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max(),
              std::string const &tag = "", bool throwing = false):
              This constructor  creates  a  std::ofstream  from  the  provided  name  parameter.  It  throws  an
              FBB::Exception  exception  if  the  stream  cannot  be  opened for writing. If a file by that name
              already exists it is rewritten.  The remaining parameters are identical to those of  the  previous
              two  constructors.   As  Mstream inherits from std::ostream the copy constructor is not available.
              Neither is the move constructor.

MEMBER FUNCTIONS

       o      size_t count() const:
              returns the number of inserted messages (if setCount has been called: the value set  by  the  last
              setCount call plus the number of inserted messages since that call).

       o      bool  isActive() const:
              returns  true  if  messages  can   actually be inserted into the FBB::MStream object, and false if
              inserted messages are ignored. When ignoring messages the message count is not updated.

       o      int id() const:
              returns the unique id of the Mstream object.

       o      bool lineExcess() const:
              returns true after attempting to insert an additional message after maxCount  number  of  messages
              have been inserted.

       o      std::string const &lineTag() const:
              returns the currently used line-tag (by default `Line’).

       o      size_t maxCount() const:
              returns  the  maximum  number  of  messages  that  can  be  inserted. If the returned value equals
              std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max() then there is no limit to the number of messages  that  can  be
              inserted.

       o      void noLineNr():
              calling  this  member  will  suppress  the  display of a line number if it is called after calling
              setLineNr (see below) but before a message is being (or has been) inserted.

       o      void off():
              after calling off messages inserted into the Mstream object are silently  ignored.  After  calling
              off the internal message counter is not incremented when messages are inserted.

       o      void on():
              by  default  and  after  calling  on  messages  inserted into the Mstream object are sent to their
              destination stream.

       o      void reset(std::ostream &ostr):
              messages inserted into the Mstream object are handled by the std::streambuf  also  used  by  ostr.
              Other parameters (e.g., maxCount, the message label) are kept as-is.

       o      void reset(std::streambuf *buf):
              messages  inserted  into  the  Mstream  object are handled by std::streambuf buf. Other parameters
              (e.g., maxCount, the message label) are kept as-is.

       o      void reset(FBB::Mstream const &mstream):
              the current object is reset using the parameters of the mstream parameter.

       o      void reset(std::string const &name, size_t maxCount, std::string const &tag, bool throwing):
              messages inserted into Mstream objects are handled by a std::ofstream created using  the  provided
              name parameter.  FBB::Exception exception if the stream cannot be opened for writing. If a file by
              that name already exists it is rewritten. Other parameters (e.g., maxCount, the message label) are
              kept as-is.

       o      void reset(std::ostream &ostr, size_t maxCount, std::string const &tag, bool throwing):
              messages  inserted  into  Mstream objects are handled by the std::streambuf also used by ostr.  By
              specifying std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max() for maxCount there is no  limit  to  the  number  of
              messages that may be handled by this std::streambuf. The tag defines the text of the message label
              (e.g.,  Error  or  the  empty  string for no message label). When throwing is specified as true an
              FBB::Exception exception is thrown after completing a message.

       o      void reset(std::streambuf *buf, size_t maxCount, std::string const &tag, bool throwing):
              messages inserted into Mstream objects are handled by std::streambuf buf. The remaining parameters
              are identical to those of the previous reset member.

       o      void reset(std::string const &name, size_t maxCount, std::string const &tag, bool throwing):
              messages inserted into Mstream objects are handled by a std::ofstream created using  the  provided
              name  parameter. It throws an FBB::Exception exception if the stream cannot be opened for writing.
              If a file by that name already exists it is rewritten.  The remaining parameters are identical  to
              those of the previous two reset members.

       o      void reset(FBB::Mstream const &mstream):
              the current object is reset using the parameters of the mstream parameter. Following the reset all
              of the current object’s parameters can independently be modified from those used by mstream.

       o      bool setActive(bool ifTrue):
              If  ifTrue  equals  true  the  Mstream  is activated otherwise its actions are suppressed. Returns
              ifTrue.

       o      void setCount(size_t count):
              assigns the value count to the object’s message counter.

       o      void setLineNr(size_t lineNr):
              specifies the value lineNr as the message’s line number when the next line is displayed (see  also
              noLineNr).  This  value  is  not changed by the Mstream object. To display another line number the
              member will have to be called again (i.e., the line number is not displayed automatically again at
              every new line).

       o      void setLineTag(std::string const &tag):
              specifies the tag prefixing line numbers. By default the line tag equals `Line’.

       o      void setMaxCount(size_t maxCount):
              defines maxCount as the maximum number of messages that can be inserted into the Mstream object.

       o      void setTag(std::string const &tag):
              specifies the tag prefixing messages. By default the tag  is  empty.  If  not  empty  the  tag  is
              enclosed by square brackets. E.g., specifying the tag `Error’ will prefix messages with [Error].

       o      std::string const &tag() const:
              returns the currently used message tag (by default an empty string).

       o      bool throws():
              returns  true when the Mstream object will throw an FBB::Exception exception at the next completed
              message. The generated exception holds the id (see earlier for  the  member  id)  of  the  Mstream
              object from which the exception was thrown as well as the text FBB::Mstream.

       o      void throwing(bool ifTrue):
              modifies the behaviro of Mstream objects at completed messages. After passing true Mstream objects
              will  throw an FBB::Exception exception at the next completed message, otherwise this exception is
              not thrown. The generated exception holds the id (see earlier for the member id)  of  the  Mstream
              object from which the exception was thrown as well as the text FBB::Mstream.

MANIPULATORS

       Note  that  the  following  two manipulators are not members of the class Mstream, but are free functions
       defined in the namespace FBB.

       o      std::ostream &endl(std::ostream &out):
              This manipulator inserts a newline character in the Mstream’s stream and  then  calls  FBB::flush.
              This  manipulator  acts  like  std::endl  and  std::flush  when  inserted  into  another  kind  of
              std::ostream object.

       o      std::ostream &flush(std::ostream &out):
              This manipulator completes the message that is currently being inserted into an Mstream object. It
              flushes the object’s destination stream and prepares the object for the next  message.   When  the
              object’s  throws member returns true it will throw an FBB:::Exception exception which holds the id
              (see earlier for the member id) of the Mstream object from which the exception was thrown as  well
              as  the  text  FBB::Mstream.  When used in combination with another kind of std::ostream object it
              acts like std::flush.

       As the manipulators FBB::endl and FBB::flush  act  like,  respectively,  std::endl  and  std::flush  when
       inserted  into  another  kind of std::ostream object, using the declarations `using FBB::endl’ and `using
       FBB::flush’ might be worth considering. Also, when  using  namespace  std  and  using  namespace  FBB  is
       specified  the  FBB::endl  and FBB::flush manipulator will automatically be called when inserting endl or
       flush into Mstream objects.

EXAMPLE

       #include <iostream>
       #include <algorithm>
       #include <iterator>

       #include <bobcat/mstream>
       #include <bobcat/errno>

       using namespace std;
       using namespace FBB;

       int main(int argc, char **argv)
       try
       {
           imsg << "Informational: " << endl;
           imsg.off();
           cout << "The i-msg stream is now off. This message should appear once" <<
                                                                               endl;
           imsg << "The i-msg stream is now off. This message should appear once" <<
                                                                               endl;
           imsg << "The i-msg stream is now off. This message should appear once" <<
                                                                               endl;
           cout << "But this message is shown" << endl;

           wmsg << "Warning message" << endl;
           emsg << "Oops, this this is an error (not really)" << endl;
           emsg << "Oops, this goes wrong, too" << endl;

           imsg.on();
           imsg << "And another informational msg: " << emsg.count() <<
                   " error messages\n" << flush;

           emsg << "Third error" << endl;
           emsg.setMaxCount(3);

           imsg << "Msg in between" << endl;

           cerr << "(cerr) LineExcess: " << emsg.lineExcess() << ", count = " <<
                   emsg.count() << endl;

           emsg << "Fourth error" << endl;

           cerr << "(cerr) LineExcess: " << emsg.lineExcess() << ", count = " <<
                   emsg.count() << endl;

           cerr << "Beyond\n";
       }
       catch(FBB::Errno const &e)
       {
           std::cerr << "Got an Errno object: " << e.why() << ’\n’;
       }
       catch(...)
       {
           std::cerr << "Got an exception\n";
       }

FILES

       bobcat/mstream - defines the class interface

SEE ALSO

       bobcat(7), errno(3bobcat), mbuf(3bobcat)

BUGS

       None Reported.

DISTRIBUTION FILES

       o      bobcat_3.19.01-x.dsc: detached signature;

       o      bobcat_3.19.01-x.tar.gz: source archive;

       o      bobcat_3.19.01-x_i386.changes: change log;

       o      libbobcat1_3.19.01-x_*.deb: debian package holding the libraries;

       o      libbobcat1-dev_3.19.01-x_*.deb: debian package holding the libraries, headers and manual pages;

       o      http://sourceforge.net/projects/bobcat: public archive location;

BOBCAT

       Bobcat is an acronym of `Brokken’s Own Base Classes And Templates’.

COPYRIGHT

       This is free software, distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL).

AUTHOR

       Frank B. Brokken (f.b.brokken@rug.nl).

libbobcat-dev_3.19.01-x.tar.gz                      2005-2013                              FBB::Mstream(3bobcat)