use SG_ADD to register objects without upcasting

src/shogun/base/Parameter.h

@@ -333,6 +333,14 @@ class Parameter
 	 */
 	void add(CSGObject** param,
 			 const char* name, const char* description="");
+
+	template <typename T, std::enable_if_t<std::is_base_of<CSGObject, T>::value, T>* = nullptr>
+	void add(T** param,const char* name, const char* description="")
+	{
+		TSGDataType type(CT_SCALAR, ST_NONE, PT_SGOBJECT);
+		add_type(&type, (CSGObject**)param, name, description);
+	}
+
 	/** add param
 	 * @param param parameter itself
 	 * @param name name of parameter

src/shogun/base/SGObject.cpp

@@ -845,15 +845,6 @@ bool CSGObject::has(const std::string& name) const
 	return has_parameter(BaseTag(name));
 }
 
-void CSGObject::ref_value(CSGObject* const* value)
-{
-	SG_REF(*value);
-}
-
-void CSGObject::ref_value(...)
-{
-}
-
 class ToStringVisitor : public AnyVisitor
 {
 public:

src/shogun/base/SGObject.h

@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ class CSGObject
 					get_name(), _tag.name().c_str(),
 					exc.actual().c_str(), exc.expected().c_str());
 			}
-			ref_value(&value);
+			ref_value(value);
 			update_parameter(_tag, make_any(value));
 		}
 		else
@@ -374,12 +374,6 @@ class CSGObject
 	{
 		if (dynamic_cast<T*>(value))
 		{
-			if (has<T*>(name))
-			{
-				SG_REF(value);
-				T* old = get<T*>(name);
-				SG_UNREF(old);
-			}
 			put(Tag<T*>(name), (T*) value);
 			return true;
 		}
@@ -681,8 +675,13 @@ class CSGObject
 	void unset_global_objects();
 	void init();
 
-	static void ref_value(CSGObject* const* value);
-	static void ref_value(...);
+	/** Overloaded helper to increase reference counter */
+	static void ref_value(CSGObject* value) { SG_REF(value); }
+
+	/** Overloaded helper to increase reference counter
+	 * Here a no-op for non CSGobject pointer parameters */
+	template <typename T, std::enable_if_t<!std::is_base_of<CSGObject, typename std::remove_pointer<T>::type>::value, T>* = nullptr>
+	static void ref_value(T value) {}
 
 	/** Checks if object has a parameter identified by a BaseTag.
 	 * This only checks for name and not type information.

src/shogun/machine/DistanceMachine.cpp

@@ -35,8 +35,7 @@ void CDistanceMachine::init()
 	set_store_model_features(true);
 
 	distance=NULL;
-	m_parameters->add((CSGObject**)&distance, "distance", "Distance to use");
-	watch_param("distance", &distance, AnyParameterProperties("Distance to use"));
+	SG_ADD(&distance, "distance", "Distance to use", MS_AVAILABLE);
 }
 
 void CDistanceMachine::distances_lhs(SGVector<float64_t>& result, index_t idx_a1, index_t idx_a2, index_t idx_b)

src/shogun/machine/KernelMachine.cpp

@@ -634,12 +634,7 @@ void CKernelMachine::init()
 	use_linadd=true;
 	use_bias=true;
 
-	//	SG_ADD((CSGObject**) &kernel, "kernel", "", MS_AVAILABLE);
-	m_parameters->add((CSGObject**) &kernel, "kernel", "");
-	m_model_selection_parameters->add((CSGObject**) &kernel, "kernel", "");
-
-	watch_param("kernel", &kernel, AnyParameterProperties("", MS_AVAILABLE));
-
+	SG_ADD(&kernel, "kernel", "", MS_AVAILABLE);
 	SG_ADD((CSGObject**) &m_custom_kernel, "custom_kernel", "Custom kernel for"
 			" data lock", MS_NOT_AVAILABLE);
 	SG_ADD((CSGObject**) &m_kernel_backup, "kernel_backup",

src/shogun/machine/Machine.cpp

@@ -25,11 +25,8 @@ CMachine::CMachine()
 	SG_ADD((machine_int_t*) &m_solver_type, "solver_type",
 	       "Type of solver.", MS_NOT_AVAILABLE);
 
-//	SG_ADD((CSGObject**) &m_labels, "labels",
-//	       "Labels to be used.", MS_NOT_AVAILABLE);
-	m_parameters->add((CSGObject**)&m_labels, "labels", "Labels to be used.");
-	watch_param("labels", &m_labels, AnyParameterProperties("Labels to be used."));
-
+	SG_ADD(&m_labels, "labels",
+	       "Labels to be used.", MS_NOT_AVAILABLE);
 	SG_ADD(&m_store_model_features, "store_model_features",
 	       "Should feature data of model be stored after training?", MS_NOT_AVAILABLE);
 	SG_ADD(&m_data_locked, "data_locked",

tests/unit/base/MockObject.h

@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ namespace shogun
 			        "Integer", MS_NOT_AVAILABLE, GRADIENT_NOT_AVAILABLE));
 
 			watch_param(
-			    "watched_object", (CSGObject**)&m_object,
+			    "watched_object", &m_object,
 			    AnyParameterProperties(
 			        "Object", MS_NOT_AVAILABLE, GRADIENT_NOT_AVAILABLE));
 		}
@@ -306,6 +306,6 @@ namespace shogun
 		int32_t m_integer = 0;
 		int32_t m_watched = 0;
 
-		CSGObject* m_object = 0;
+		CMockObject* m_object = nullptr;
 	};
 }

tests/unit/base/SGObject_unittest.cc

@@ -528,10 +528,10 @@ TEST(SGObject, watched_parameter)
 TEST(SGObject, watched_parameter_object)
 {
 	auto obj = some<CMockObject>();
-	Some<CMockObject> other_obj = some<CMockObject>();
+	auto other_obj = some<CMockObject>();
 
 	EXPECT_EQ(other_obj->ref_count(), 1);
-	obj->put("watched_object", dynamic_cast<CSGObject*>(other_obj.get()));
+	obj->put(Tag<CMockObject*>("watched_object"), other_obj.get());
 	EXPECT_EQ(other_obj->ref_count(), 2);
 	EXPECT_FALSE(other_obj->equals(obj));
 	obj = nullptr;