libSBML Perl API  5.20.4
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SBMLExtensionRegister< SBMLExtensionType > Class Template Reference

Detailed Description

template<class SBMLExtensionType>
class SBMLExtensionRegister< SBMLExtensionType >
Template class for extension package registration

This class of objects is defined by libSBML only and has no direct equivalent in terms of SBML components. This class is not prescribed by the SBML specifications, although it is used to implement features defined in SBML.

This is the registration template class for SBML package extensions in libSBML. It is used by package extensions to register themselves with the SBMLExtensionRegistry when libSBML starts up. An instance of this class needs to be created by each package extension and used in a call to a method on SBMLExtensionRegistry.

Basic principles of SBML package extensions in libSBML

SBML Level 3's package structure permits modular extensions to the core SBML format. In libSBML, support for SBML Level 3 packages is provided through optional package extensions that can be plugged into libSBML at the time it is built/compiled. Users of libSBML can thus choose which extensions are enabled in their software applications.

LibSBML defines a number of classes that developers of package extensions can use to implement support for an SBML Level 3 package. These classes make it easier to extend libSBML objects with new attributes and/or subobjects as needed by a particular Level 3 package. Three overall categories of classes make up libSBML's facilities for implementing package extensions. There are (1) classes that serve as base classes meant to be subclassed, (2) template classes meant to be instantiated rather than subclassed, and (3) support classes that provide utility features. A given package implementation for libSBML will take the form of code using these and other libSBML classes, placed in a subdirectory of src/sbml/packages/.

The basic libSBML distribution includes a number of package extensions implementing support for officially-endorsed SBML Level 3 packages; among these are Flux Balance Constraints ("fbc"), Hierarchical Model Composition ("comp"), Layout ("layout"), and Qualitative Models ("qual"). They can serve as working examples for developers working to implement other packages.

Extensions in libSBML can currently only be implemented in C++ or C; there is no mechanism to implement them first in languages such as Java or Python. However, once implemented in C++ or C, language interfaces can be generated semi-automatically using the framework in place in libSBML. (The approach is based on using SWIG and facilities in libSBML's build system.)

Public Member Functions

 SBMLExtensionRegister ()
 Constructor for SBMLExtensionRegister.
 

Constructor & Destructor Documentation

◆ SBMLExtensionRegister()

template<class SBMLExtensionType >
SBMLExtensionRegister< SBMLExtensionType >::SBMLExtensionRegister ( )
inline

Constructor for SBMLExtensionRegister.

This simple constructor arranges for the initialization code of the corresponding package extension to be executed when an object of this class is created. Specifically, it causes the init() method on the SBMLExtension-derived class to be called when the package is registered with SBMLExtensionRegistry. Extension packages should put any necessary initialization code in their init() method.