//  ============================================================
//
//  refCount.h
//
//  Copyright 2002, Dennis Meilicke and Rene Peralta
//
//  ============================================================
//
//  Description:
//
//  Implementation of the reference counting class.
//
//  ============================================================
#ifndef __ln3_refCount__
#define __ln3_refCount__


template< class DATA >
class refCount
{
  public:
    refCount( );
    refCount( const refCount< DATA > &source );
    ~refCount( );

    refCount< DATA >& operator=( const refCount< DATA > &source );

    void Disconnect( );

    //  temporary only
    unsigned long GetPointer( void ){return (unsigned long)pData;}


  protected:
    inline const DATA* const GetData( ) const;
    inline DATA* const GetData( );

  private:
    inline void ReleaseReference( );
    
    DATA*  pData;
};


template< class DATA >
inline const DATA* const refCount< DATA >::GetData( ) const
{
    return pData;
}


template< class DATA >
inline DATA* const refCount< DATA >::GetData( )
{
    if( pData->count > 1 )
    {
        DATA* pRefData = new DATA(*pData);

        ReleaseReference( );
    
        pData = pRefData;
    }

    return pData;
}


template< class DATA >
refCount< DATA >::refCount( )
{
    pData = new DATA;
}


template< class DATA >
refCount< DATA >::refCount( const refCount< DATA > &source )
{
    pData = source.pData;
    ++pData->count;
}


template< class DATA >
refCount< DATA >::~refCount( )
{
    ReleaseReference( );
}


template< class DATA >
refCount< DATA >&
refCount< DATA >::operator=( const refCount< DATA > &source )
{
    if( source.pData != pData )
    {
        ReleaseReference( );

        pData = source.pData;
        ++pData->count;
    }

    return( *this );
}


template< class DATA >
inline void refCount< DATA >::ReleaseReference( )
{
    --pData->count;
    if( ( pData->count ) < 0 )
        cout << "less than zero" << endl;
    
    if( pData->count == 0 )
    {
        delete pData;
        pData = (DATA *)0;
    }
}


template< class DATA >
void refCount< DATA >::Disconnect( )
{
    ReleaseReference( );

    pData =  new DATA;
}


#endif