Generic procedure including a sub-class of TimeDelta

[dtokuda]

I faced a problem with a sub-class of timedelta. I defined a generic procedure name for operator(+) (as below, can be compiled), but the program executes the operator for TimeDelta, not for RelativeDelta.

type, extends(TimeDelta) :: RelativeDelta
***
end type RelativeDelta

interface operator(+)
    module procedure datetime_plus_relativedelta
    module procedure relativedelta_plus_datetime
end interface operator(+)

One possible reason is class in the original datetime_plus_timedelta function. While type(timedelta) indicates only timedelta class, class(timedelta) does sub-classes in addition to timedelta class.

pure elemental function datetime_plus_timedelta(d0,t) result(d)
  class(datetime), intent(in) :: d0 !! `datetime` instance
  class(timedelta),intent(in) :: t  !! `timedelta` instance

Could you update the attribute from class to type in non-method procedures? Or what can I do for overloading of such a function? I will appreciate your help with this issue.

[milancurcic]

Thanks, indeed, the intent(in) arguments to specific procedures that overload the operators are defined as class by design, so that these operators can work for sub-classes out of the box.

But in your case, you actually want to override the inherited operator with a new procedure. Certainly valid. To be honest, I don't know what the standard says about this, but I'd think that you should be able to override the inherited operator with a new one.

Can you please post the code for RelativeDelta and datetime_plus_relativedelta, and let me know the compiler and version you are working with?

In the meantime I will try to reproduce this in a minimal example.

[dtokuda]

I appreciate your reply and I apologize much longer post. I use ifort, Intel(R) Fortran Intel(R) 64 Compiler for applications running on Intel(R) 64, Version 19.0.3.199 Build 20190206.

The implementation of RelativeDelta and datetime_plus_relativedelta are as below. Since I defined RelativeDelta for I/O of monthly/yearly data in numerical simulation, I prohibited both of (years or months) and timedelta have non-zero value in the constructor. The following code defines operator(+) as a external function out of the class, however the code does not work even if the operator(+) is defined as an in-class method like your implementation in mod_datetime.f90.

type, extends(TimeDelta) :: RelativeDelta
    private
    integer years, months
    contains
    procedure :: getYears      => getYears
    procedure :: getMonths  => getMonths
! for in-class method
!    procedure, pass(dt) :: datetime_plus_timedelta => datetime_plus_relativedelta
!    procedure :: timedelta_plus_datetime => relativedelta_plus_datetime
!    generic   :: operator(+) => datetime_plus_timedelta, timedelta_plus_datetime
end type RelativeDelta

interface RelativeDelta
    module procedure init_relativedelta
end interface RelativeDelta

interface operator(+)
    module procedure datetime_plus_relativedelta
    module procedure relativedelta_plus_datetime
end interface operator(+)

contains ! constructor, getYears() and getMonths are also defined

pure elemental function datetime_plus_relativedelta(t1, dt) result(t2)
    type(DateTime),      intent(in) :: t1
    type(RelativeDelta), intent(in) :: dt
! for in-class method
!    class(DateTime),      intent(in) :: t1
!    class(RelativeDelta), intent(in) :: dt
    type(DateTime)                  :: t2
    integer :: iyear, imon, years, mons
    t2 = t1
    years = dt%getYears()
    do iyear = 1, years
        t2 = t2 + TimeDelta(days=daysInYear(t2%getYear()))
    enddo

    mons = dt%getMonths()
    do imon = 1, mons
        t2 = t2 + TimeDelta(days=daysInMonth(t2%getMonth(), t2%getYear()))
    enddo

    t2 = t2 + dt%TimeDelta
end function datetime_plus_relativedelta

Test case is:

program main
    implicit none
    call relativedelta_test
contains

subroutine relativedelta_test
    use datetime_ext_mod
    type(DateTime)       :: t1, t2
    type(RelativeDelta) :: dt
    t1 = DateTime(2000, 1, 1)
    dt = RelativeDelta(years=1)
    t2 = t1 + dt
    write(*, '(3i2,2a)') dt%getYears(), dt%getMonths(), dt%getHours(), ' ', t2%strftime('%Y/%m/%d %H:%M')

    dt = RelativeDelta(months=1)
    t2 = t1 + dt
    write(*, '(3i2,2a)') dt%getYears(), dt%getMonths(), dt%getHours(), ' ', t2%strftime('%Y/%m/%d %H:%M')

    dt = RelativeDelta(hours=1)
    t2 = t1 + dt
    write(*, '(3i2,2a)') dt%getYears(), dt%getMonths(), dt%getHours(), ' ', t2%strftime('%Y/%m/%d %H:%M')

end subroutine relativedelta_test
end program main

Output is:

 1 0 0 2000/01/01 00:00
 0 1 0 2000/01/01 00:00
 0 0 1 2000/01/01 01:00  <- executed + for timedelta instead of relativedelta

I'm afraid that my current solution has to modify YOUR module:

• remove datetime_plus_timedelta and timedelta_plus_datetime from in-class method of datetime
• change the attribute of arguments of datetime_plus_timedelta and timedelta_plus_datetime from class to type
• re-define operator(+) out of datetime class as below (and make it public)

interface operator(+)
  module procedure :: datetime_plus_timedelta
  module procedure :: timedelta_plus_datetime
end interface

Is there any smarter way to overload the operator?

[milancurcic]

Hi Daisuke,

Sorry about the delay with this. I agree with your conclusion--because the operators are defined as type-bound methods rather than regular procedures, they require class for the input argument.

The solution you propose would work for your use case, however it would break the use case of extended datetime and timedelta types inheriting the original operators.

I can't think of any way to make both functionalities work with the same code, however if I do I will write here.

I see that you have two options:

1. Roll your own fork of datetime with your modifications;
2. Use custom operators instead of built-in arithmetic. For example, you could define your .add. operator for the extended types, instead of +. Less elegant, but works.