Replace all pointer to handle object by pointer to a different handle object

Dear all,

I am struggling to solve a problem concerning handle objects. Let me first explain my object constallations. I have three different classes:

Node class:

classdef Node < handle
    properties
        X    %double
        Y    %double
        Z     %double
    end
end

Element class:

classdef Element < handle
    properties
        Nodes     % Node objects (1x4)    
    end
end

Mesh class:

classdef Element < handle
    properties
        Elements     % Element objects (1xN)    
        Nodes        % List of all nodes in Element
    end
end

The is an abstraction of my problem. Now I want to merge two Nodes ( Node1 into Node 2).

The Idea is either :

1. To change all Pointer of the handle object Node1 to Pointer to Node2
2. Change 'root object' of Node1 (where the pointer references to) to the 'root object' of Node2, so that the pointer redirect all?!
3. Delete Node1 and during deletion replace by a pointer to Node2

The problems:

1. I didn't find any method to get all Pointer to Node1
2. How can I acces this 'root object'
3. No idea if and how it is possible

I have tried:

classdef Node < handle
    properties
        X    %double
        Y    %double
        Z     %double
    end
    
    methods
        function merge2(obj,NewNode)
            obj = NewNode;
        end
    end
end

% Call
Node1.merge2(Node2) 

But this only changes the handle variable obj and does not change redirect the 'root object' from Node1 to Node2.

Does anyone have a good solution for this, without looping over all properties to find all pointer and manually change the handle variable?

Thanks a lot guys!

Best regards.

Answer 1

[Philip Borghesani]

How about one extra level of indirection?:

classdef node < handle
    properties
        X
        Y
        Z
    end
end

classdef nodeHandle < handle 
    properties
        node
    end
    methods
        function merge2(obj,Other)
            obj.node=Other.node
        end
    end
end

Now store nodeHandle in Element and Mesh instead of node. You may find that all your classes don't need to be handles. We have found that in the best designs many object types can still be values.

[Pablo Noever]

That's a fancy solution, haven't thought about that yet. Will try to implement it and report.

Thank you!

[Pablo Noever]

Worked fine for me! Thanks!