How to create an object instance from its class name?

[Incus J 10]

I have a class descended from TInterfacedPersistent like this:

type TMyClass=class(TInterfacedPersistent,IMyInterface);

…and several classes descended from this, all registered with RegisterClasses([TMyClass1, TMyClass2, …etc…]);

 

I’d like to make a very general function to create instances of these (and other classes) at runtime, by simply passing in a string containing the class name:

function CreateAnObjectByClassName(AClassName:string):TPersistent;
begin
  result := GetClass(AClassName).Create;
end;

This kind of works, except that when creating the object, it looks like its ancestor TObject.Create constructor is called, instead of TMyClass2.Create;

When I step through the code at runtime I end up at constructor TObject.Create; in the System unit.  As a result the newly created object is not initialised correctly.

 

Having just the class name (e.g. 'TMyClass2') as a string, how can I create a genuine instance of that class, as if I had hard coded TMyClass2.Create; ?

[Remy Lebeau 1396]

11 minutes ago, Incus J said:

This kind of works, except that when creating the object, it looks like its ancestor TObject.Create constructor is called, instead of TMyClass2.Create;

That is because neither TObject, TPersistent, nor TInterfacedObject have a virtual constructor that your descendants can override.  The lowest RTL class that introduces a virtual constructor is TComponent.

Quote

Having just the class name (e.g. 'TMyClass2') as a string, how can I create a genuine instance of that class, as if I had hard coded TMyClass2.Create; ?

You need to add a virtual constructor to TMyClass and have desccendants override it as needed.  And then declare your own metaclass type for your creation function to use.  For example:

 

type
  TMyClass = class(TInterfacedPersistent, IMyInterface)
  public
    constructor Create; virtual;
  end;

  TMyClassType = class of TMyClass;

function CreateAnObjectByClassName(const AClassName: string): TPersistent;
begin
  Result := TMyClassType(GetClass(AClassName)).Create;
end;

...

type
  TMyClass1 = class(TMyClass)
  public
    constructor Create; override;
  end;

  TMyClass2 = class(TMyClass)
  public
    constructor Create; override;
  end;

RegisterClasses([TMyClass1, TMyClass2, ...]);

 

Edited March 26, 2021 by Remy Lebeau

[Stefan Glienke 2002]

Take a look into TActivator.CreateInstance (typename needs to be fully qualified including unit name)

[Incus J 10]

Thank you Remy - I'll give that a try!

 

From what you've said, I'm guessing it is not going to be possible to make a 'very general' CreateAnObjectByClassName function, because of the necessity to hard code the TMyClassType cast?

[Incus J 10]

Thank you Stefan - I'll take a look at that too - looks like a different approach.  Seems quite complex at a glance.

Edited March 26, 2021 by Incus J

[Incus J 10]

TMyClassType = class of TMyClass;

Can the metaclass type TMyClassType be passed into a function as a parameter? TMetaClass...?

function CreateAnObjectByClassName(ClassName:string; BaseClass:TMetaClass..?):TPersistent;
begin
  result := BaseClass(GetClass(ClassName)).Create;
end;

If that's possible, then I can have the caller provide the base class (the ancestor which introduced the virtual constructor) like this:

object := CreateAnObjectByClassName('TMyClass2', TMyClassType);

I'm not sure what type BaseClass would be - I don't think it's just a TClass.

[Stefan Glienke 2002]

57 minutes ago, Incus J said:

Thank you Stefan - I'll take a look at that too - looks like a different approach.  Seems quite complex at a glance.

Yes, it uses RTTI because it does not require the existence of a virtual ctor and can work with parameters as well - if you can go with Remys approach and change your class architecture, then please go with that.

[Remy Lebeau 1396]

1 hour ago, Incus J said:

Can the metaclass type TMyClassType be passed into a function as a parameter?

It can be passed in as a normal parameter, and even used in ClassType comparisons, but it can't be used for type-casts, eg:

function CreateAnObjectByClassName(const ClassName: string; BaseClass: TPersistentClass): TPersistent;
var
  Cls: TPersistentClass;
begin
  Cls := GetClass(ClassName);
  if not Cls.InheritsFrom(BaseClass) then raise Exception.Create('...');
  Result := BaseClass(Cls).Create; // <-- doesn't work
end;

The compiler needs to know the actual class type that exposes the necessary constructor in order to call it directly.  Otherwise, you have to resort to using RTTI to call the constructor, as demonstrated in the code Stefan linked to.

1 hour ago, Incus J said:

If that's possible, then I can have the caller provide the base class (the ancestor which introduced the virtual constructor)

There are alternative ways to accomplish that, just not as clean as what you are thinking.

 

 

[Guest]

i think that the big problem with this approach is access the real Class-DESIRED.properties not class-GENERIC.properties if you understand me.

 

or be, at end, for pratical use, the code needs know all properties of final-use.

 

ex.: we have TDataset class -> accept any others sub-class but if we have a FDQuery then in fact, using TDataset.PropSpecificFromFDQuery  is not knowed by TDataset.... you see me?

then, would be needs some like this

TFDQuery(xDatasetClass).xxxProp

 

and using Register the Class before, I think that dont help in generic case, because stay more specific use...

 

I dont know if I get explain right????

 

hug

Edited March 26, 2021 by Guest

[mikak 2]

I was searching solution this object creation also and remembered finally that Delphi rtl json library does that. 
 

uses ...
  system.rtti,
  rest.jsonreflect;

var
  ctx: Trtticontext;
  a, another: TMybaseClass;
begin
  a := tMyancestorClass.create;  
  //actually no need to call ctx := trtticontext.create; 
  another := TJSONUnMarshal.ObjectInstance(ctx, a.QualifiedClassName) as tmybaseclass;
  assert(a.classname = another.classname);
end;

Only default constructor is supported (constructor create)

Edited February 8, 2022 by mikak

[Anders Melander 1783]

5 hours ago, mikak said:

I was searching solution this object creation also and remembered finally that Delphi rtl json library does that. 

Every Delphi application that contains a form (or frame or datamodule) does it. That's how components and controls gets created when the form is streamed in from the DFM resource.

See TReader.GetFieldClass and TReader.ReadComponent

[Uwe Raabe 2057]

16 minutes ago, Anders Melander said:

Every Delphi application that contains a form (or frame or datamodule) does it.

Yes, but it only works for components because TComponent has a virtual constructor.

[Anders Melander 1783]

15 minutes ago, Uwe Raabe said:

Yes, but it only works for components because TComponent has a virtual constructor.

Yes. What's your point?

[Uwe Raabe 2057]

The Delphi streaming system knows that it handles TComponent descendants only. That way it can create each instance calling <SomeComponentClass>Create(<Owner>). In contrast TJSONUnMarshal.ObjectInstance works on any class having a parameterless constructor. It cannot rely on TObject.Create for that as it is not virtual. So the mechanism behind both approaches is totally different. I just wanted to emphasize that.

[Anders Melander 1783]

Yes, okay. Consider it emphasized - again.