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Delphi> Please explain this: type... procedure of object

Asked 2011-01-07T14:42:08.380
12

I've encountered some code that's new to me...

I've never really seen a type declaration of a procedure of object, and I just don't see the point. Why couldn't the developer simply keep a field of type Boolean?

interface

    type
      TFinishedCaptureEvent = procedure(AFinished: Boolean) of object;

      TFrameCard = class(TFrame)
      ...
      private
        FOnFinishedCapture: TFinishedCaptureEvent;
        procedure DoUpdateMessage(AMessageType: TMessageType);
      public
        property OnFinishedCapture: TFinishedCaptureEvent read FOnFinishedCapture write FOnFinishedCapture;
      end;    

implementation

...

procedure TFrameCard.DoUpdateMessage(AMessageType: TMessageType);
begin
  if Assigned(FOnFinishedCapture) then
    FOnFinishedCapture(False);
  ...
end;

end.
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2 Answers

22

Let's break this down into two parts to be easier to understand. First, procedure(AFinished: Boolean) isn't a boolean variable, it's a reference to a procedure that takes a boolean as a parameter. It's basically a procedure header, except without the procedure name because this is just a type definition. Any procedure that matches this signature can be assigned to this variable.

The of object part means that this isn't just a procedure reference, but a method reference; it has to belong to an object. The compiler needs to know the difference so that it can store the self pointer for the object together with the procedure pointer so it can be invoked properly, as the other posters have pointed out.

Basically, this is declaring a new event handler, and it's a pretty common pattern in Delphi. It's the same thing that the VCL does all over the place. When you create a button and assign an OnClick handler, it has to be a procedure (Sender: TObject) of object;. Your form gives the button a method reference referring to itself and the event handler procedure, and then the button uses that information to invoke the handler on the form when someone clicks it.

This code is doing the same thing. It's providing a way for some external object to be notified when DoUpdateMessage runs, using the standard Delphi idiom for event notification.

answered 2011-01-07T18:19:18.830
14

A procedure of object is a procedure reference for procedures contained in class instances. When calling procedures that are members of a class, the implict Self reference must be passed with the other parameters. Using procedure of object tells the compiler to store the Self reference with the procedure address inside the procedure reference, so that when the procedure is called via the procedure reference, the Self reference will be automatically passed.

In the code snippet you provided, TFinishedCaptureEvent is defined as a procedure of object, meaning that any variables created of its type will contain 2 values: the Self value and the procedure address. When this variable is assigned to, in particular when the assignment is inside a class, the compiler will automatically set the Self value inside this variable to the instance of the class that contains the procedure being assigned to the variable. When the variable is called (FOnFinishedCapture(False)), the compiler automatically passes the correct Self value back to the procedure that was assigned to this variable.

answered 2011-01-07T14:51:49.113

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