Made get_link the only way to create nested props.

Removed the obj::ptr and sptr typedefs.
The dboard manager now must store not the subdevs, but their proxies.

4 files changed, 54 insertions, 28 deletions

diff --git a/lib/gain_handler.cpp b/lib/gain_handler.cpp
index 3d0c38aa1..8713ad766 100644
--- a/lib/gain_handler.cpp
+++ b/lib/gain_handler.cpp
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ using namespace usrp_uhd;
 /*!
  * Helper function to simplify getting a named gain (also min, max, step).
  */
-static gain_t get_named_gain(wax::obj::ptr wax_obj_ptr, wax::obj prop, std::string name){
+static gain_t get_named_gain(wax::obj *wax_obj_ptr, wax::obj prop, std::string name){
     return wax::cast<gain_t>((*wax_obj_ptr)[named_prop_t(prop, name)]);
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/usrp/dboard/manager.cpp b/lib/usrp/dboard/manager.cpp
index 12cfdd156..759cb20b8 100644
--- a/lib/usrp/dboard/manager.cpp
+++ b/lib/usrp/dboard/manager.cpp
@@ -140,23 +140,37 @@ manager::manager(
             base::sptr xcvr_dboard = rx_dboard_ctor(
                 base::ctor_args_t(name, dboard_interface)
             );
-            _rx_dboards[name] = xcvr_dboard;
-            _tx_dboards[name] = xcvr_dboard;
+            //create a rx proxy for this xcvr board
+            _rx_dboards[name] = subdev_proxy::sptr(
+                new subdev_proxy(xcvr_dboard, subdev_proxy::RX_TYPE)
+            );
+            //create a tx proxy for this xcvr board
+            _tx_dboards[name] = subdev_proxy::sptr(
+                new subdev_proxy(xcvr_dboard, subdev_proxy::TX_TYPE)
+            );
         }
     }
     //make tx and rx subdevs (separate subdevs for rx and tx dboards)
     else{
         //make the rx subdevs
         BOOST_FOREACH(std::string name, ctor_to_names_map[rx_dboard_ctor]){
-            _rx_dboards[name] = rx_dboard_ctor(
+            base::sptr rx_dboard = rx_dboard_ctor(
                 base::ctor_args_t(name, dboard_interface)
             );
+            //create a rx proxy for this rx board
+            _rx_dboards[name] = subdev_proxy::sptr(
+                new subdev_proxy(rx_dboard, subdev_proxy::RX_TYPE)
+            );
         }
         //make the tx subdevs
         BOOST_FOREACH(std::string name, ctor_to_names_map[tx_dboard_ctor]){
-            _tx_dboards[name] = tx_dboard_ctor(
+            base::sptr tx_dboard = tx_dboard_ctor(
                 base::ctor_args_t(name, dboard_interface)
             );
+            //create a tx proxy for this tx board
+            _tx_dboards[name] = subdev_proxy::sptr(
+                new subdev_proxy(tx_dboard, subdev_proxy::TX_TYPE)
+            );
         }
     }
 }
@@ -173,20 +187,18 @@ prop_names_t manager::get_tx_subdev_names(void){
     return get_map_keys(_tx_dboards);
 }
 
-wax::obj::sptr manager::get_rx_subdev(const std::string &subdev_name){
+wax::obj manager::get_rx_subdev(const std::string &subdev_name){
     if (_rx_dboards.count(subdev_name) == 0) throw std::invalid_argument(
         str(boost::format("Unknown rx subdev name %s") % subdev_name)
     );
-    return wax::obj::sptr(new subdev_proxy(
-        _rx_dboards[subdev_name], subdev_proxy::RX_TYPE)
-    );
+    //get a link to the rx subdev proxy
+    return wax::cast<subdev_proxy::sptr>(_rx_dboards[subdev_name])->get_link();
 }
 
-wax::obj::sptr manager::get_tx_subdev(const std::string &subdev_name){
+wax::obj manager::get_tx_subdev(const std::string &subdev_name){
     if (_tx_dboards.count(subdev_name) == 0) throw std::invalid_argument(
         str(boost::format("Unknown tx subdev name %s") % subdev_name)
     );
-    return wax::obj::sptr(new subdev_proxy(
-        _tx_dboards[subdev_name], subdev_proxy::TX_TYPE)
-    );
+    //get a link to the tx subdev proxy
+    return wax::cast<subdev_proxy::sptr>(_tx_dboards[subdev_name])->get_link();
 }
diff --git a/lib/usrp/mboard/test.cpp b/lib/usrp/mboard/test.cpp
index 57482448c..b54d66408 100644
--- a/lib/usrp/mboard/test.cpp
+++ b/lib/usrp/mboard/test.cpp
@@ -140,9 +140,11 @@ void test::get(const wax::obj &key_, wax::obj &val){
         if (_dboard_managers.count(name) == 0) throw std::invalid_argument(
             str(boost::format("Unknown rx dboard name %s") % name)
         );
-        val = wax::obj::sptr(
-            new shell_dboard(_dboard_managers[name], shell_dboard::TYPE_RX)
-        );
+        //FIXME store the shell dboard within the class
+        //may not fix, plan to remove this test class when real usrps work
+        //val = wax::obj::sptr(
+        //    new shell_dboard(_dboard_managers[name], shell_dboard::TYPE_RX)
+        //);
         return;
 
     case MBOARD_PROP_RX_DBOARD_NAMES:
@@ -153,9 +155,11 @@ void test::get(const wax::obj &key_, wax::obj &val){
         if (_dboard_managers.count(name) == 0) throw std::invalid_argument(
             str(boost::format("Unknown tx dboard name %s") % name)
         );
-        val = wax::obj::sptr(
-            new shell_dboard(_dboard_managers[name], shell_dboard::TYPE_TX)
-        );
+        //FIXME store the shell dboard within the class
+        //may not fix, plan to remove this test class when real usrps work
+        //val = wax::obj::sptr(
+        //    new shell_dboard(_dboard_managers[name], shell_dboard::TYPE_TX)
+        //);
         return;
 
     case MBOARD_PROP_TX_DBOARD_NAMES:
diff --git a/lib/wax.cpp b/lib/wax.cpp
index 0ae0d4315..a75acdc7f 100644
--- a/lib/wax.cpp
+++ b/lib/wax.cpp
@@ -34,6 +34,18 @@ struct proxy_args_t{
     boost::function<void(const wax::obj &)> set;
 };
 
+/*!
+ * The link args for internal use within this cpp file:
+ *
+ * It contains a link (in this case a pointer) to a wax object.
+ * Only the methods in this file may create or parse link args.
+ * The get_link method is the creator of a link args object.
+ * The [] operator will resolve the link and make the [] call.
+ */
+struct link_args_t{
+    wax::obj *obj_ptr;
+};
+
 /***********************************************************************
  * Structors
  **********************************************************************/
@@ -55,16 +67,12 @@ wax::obj::~obj(void){
 wax::obj wax::obj::operator[](const obj &key){
     if (_contents.type() == typeid(proxy_args_t)){
         obj val = resolve();
-        //check if its a regular pointer and call
-        if (val.type() == typeid(obj::ptr)){
-            return (*cast<obj::ptr>(val))[key];
-        }
-        //check if its a smart pointer and call
-        if (val.type() == typeid(obj::sptr)){
-            return (*cast<obj::sptr>(val))[key];
+        //check if its a special link and call
+        if (val.type() == typeid(link_args_t)){
+            return (*cast<link_args_t>(val).obj_ptr)[key];
         }
         //unknown obj
-        throw std::runtime_error("cannot use [] on non wax::obj pointer");
+        throw std::runtime_error("cannot use [] on non wax::obj link");
     }
     else{
         proxy_args_t proxy_args;
@@ -88,7 +96,9 @@ wax::obj & wax::obj::operator=(const obj &val){
  * Public Methods
  **********************************************************************/
 wax::obj wax::obj::get_link(void) const{
-    return ptr(this);
+    link_args_t link_args;
+    link_args.obj_ptr = const_cast<obj*>(this);
+    return link_args;
 }
 
 const std::type_info & wax::obj::type(void) const{