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c++odb

Can I pass a const object to db.persist in ODB?

I'm trying out ODB ORM and I have to stick to an interface, so I need to take a const object and persist it. I'm not sure if the ODB API allows to persist a const object, because some part seems prepared for that, but it doesn't work.

I am receiving this error from gcc here:

void OdbReportRW::write_object(const MyObject &my_object)
{
    odb::core::transaction t{db->begin()};
    db->persist(my_object);
    t.commit();
}

this is the error, which I think it says that my_object should not be const:

In file included from /usr/local/include/odb/database.hxx:632:0,
from odb_report.hpp:21,
from src/vcf/odb_report.cpp:18:
/usr/local/include/odb/database.txx: In instantiation of ‘typename odb::object_traits<T>::id_type odb::database::persist_(T&) [with T = const MyObject; odb::database_id DB = (odb::database_id)5u; typename odb::object_traits<T>::id_type = long unsigned int]’:
/usr/local/include/odb/database.ixx:167:45:   required from ‘typename odb::object_traits<T>::id_type odb::database::persist(const T&) [with T = MyObject; typename odb::object_traits<T>::id_type = long unsigned int]’
src/vcf/odb_report.cpp:134:26:   required from here
/usr/local/include/odb/database.txx:38:39: error: no matching function for call to ‘odb::object_traits_impl<MyObject, (odb::database_id)5u>::persist(odb::database&, const MyObject&)’
object_traits::persist (*this, obj);
^
/usr/local/include/odb/database.txx:38:39: note: candidate is:
In file included from src/vcf/odb_report.cpp:27:0:
my-object-error-odb.hxx:247:5: note: static void odb::access::object_traits_impl<MyObject, (odb::database_id)1u>::persist(odb::database&, odb::access::object_traits<MyObject>::object_type&)
persist (database&, object_type&);
^
my-object-odb.hxx:247:5: note:   no known conversion for argument 2 from ‘const MyObject’ to ‘odb::access::object_traits<MyObject>::object_type& {aka MyObject&}’

Same error with clang, a bit more descriptive:

In file included from src/vcf/odb_report.cpp:18:
In file included from inc/vcf/odb_report.hpp:21:
In file included from /usr/local/include/odb/database.hxx:632:
/usr/local/include/odb/database.txx:38:36: error: binding of reference to type 'object_type' (aka 'MyObject') to a value of type 'const MyObject' drops qualifiers
    object_traits::persist (*this, obj);
                                   ^~~
/usr/local/include/odb/database.ixx:167:12: note: in instantiation of function template specialization 'odb::database::persist_<const MyObject, 5>' requested here
    return persist_<const T, id_common> (obj);
           ^
src/vcf/odb_report.cpp:134:13: note: in instantiation of function template specialization 'odb::database::persist<MyObject>' requested here
        db->persist(my_object);
            ^
inc/vcf/error-odb.hxx:247:37: note: passing argument to parameter here
    persist (database&, object_type&);
                                    ^

However, I can see in the database interface (from odb) that both types of persist are provided: reference and const reference (and other with pointers):

// in odb/database.hxx
template <typename T>
typename object_traits<T>::id_type
persist (T& object);

template <typename T>
typename object_traits<T>::id_type
persist (const T& object);

I saw that a similar error is raised (for find, not persist) when there's no default constructor in the class to persist (MyObject here), but it is there, so it's not the problem. I already checked that the default constructor only generates an extra method find in the generated code.

It worked removing the const specifier in my write_object method, but as I said, I have to stick to an interface.

Any ideas to persist a const object?

Solution

  • reading more thoroughly the documentation I found this (http://www.codesynthesis.com/products/odb/doc/manual.xhtml#3.8):

    The first persist() function expects a constant reference to an instance being persisted. The second function expects a constant object pointer. Both of these functions can only be used on objects with application-assigned object ids (Section 14.4.2, "auto").

    indeed, I was using the auto specifier for database-handled ids:

    // class MyObject    
#pragma db id auto
unsigned long id_;

    So it seems that I can not use at the same time the auto id and the const reference persist.