start function with string (like in php)

[anchelito]

well, that's it: i want to start a function by its name, which is saved in a string as it is possible in php. for example you have an edit-field where you type in the name of the function as a string und click on a button and exactly the function you wrote in will be started. you could also make it with an if-clause, but i want the string to be included as source-code. do you understand what i mean?

here is how it works in php (for example the add-function for an calculator):

(the function is part of the class calc with the properties $n1 and $n2)

function add($n1, $n2)
{
return ($n1 + $n2);
}

$the_function = "add"; // set the_function

$calc->n1 = 2; // set numbers
$calc->n2 = 4;
$result = $calc->$the_function(); // start the function
$print "$result" // 6 is printed

you see: "$calc->$the_function();" is automatically replaced with "$calc->add();". so $result will be 6;

is something like this possible in c++?
thank you for your help.

 

[cpjust]

You can't run a function using a string version of it's name, but you can use a pointer to the function.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...Pointers_to_Members_and_Virtual_Functions.asp

If you really want to use a string of the function name, you could create a map<> of strings and function pointers and lookup the names in the map...