/* $Id: itemset.hpp,v 1.6 2005/12/10 15:59:12 chfreund Exp $ */

#ifndef _ITEMSET_HPP_
#define _ITEMSET_HPP_

/**********************************************************/

#include <SDL.h>
#include  "settings.hpp"
#include  "pvector_t.hpp"

/**********************************************************/

//! base interface for items

/*! This class is the base interface class for items, that should
 *  be able to be loaded from a list in a configuration file.
 */
class Item
{
	public:

		//! constructor
		Item() {};
		//! destructor
		virtual ~Item() {};

		virtual bool readFromSettings( SettingDataBase &settings,
		                               Sint32          &pos ) = 0;

		//!
		static bool checkSettings( SettingDataBase &settings ) {
			return true;
		}
		//! returns
		static const SettingDef* getSettingDef() {
			ASSERT( false, "Item::getSettingDef should not "
			        "be called\n" ); return 0x0; }
};

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//! T must be derived from class Item
template <class T>
class ItemSet : protected PointerVector<Item>
{
	public:

		ItemSet();
		virtual ~ItemSet();

		//! \name access methods
		//@{
		//! returns number of items in the set
		Sint32 getNumItems() const {
			return static_cast<Sint32>(PointerVector<Item>::getSize()); }
		//! returns item at passed index \c [i]
		T& getItem( const Sint32 i ) {
			return *(T*)(PointerVector<Item>::operator [] (i)); }
		//! returns item at passed index \c [i]
		const T& getItem( const Sint32 i ) const {
			return *(const T*)(PointerVector<Item>::operator [] (i)); }
		//! append an item
		bool append( const T* item ) {
			return PointerVector<Item>::append( item ); }
		//@}

		//! loads the item set from section \c section in file \c filename
		virtual bool load( const char* const filename,
		                   const char* const section   );

		void reset();

	protected:
};

/**********************************************************/

#endif // _ITEMSET_HPP_