#include "code"

Last post I covered the project overview, the basic Makefile and also introduced some classes which seemed to fit the bill for what I want: bR41nzz...

In this post I will delve a little deeper into the class implementations themselves. I'm not going to explain every line of code, I presume you can read enough of it to follow.

So, lets start with the smallest building block, and digress from there...

Note: I'll be describing the system in headers files first, building them up as I go along. Then, when it's time to test the concept, we will write the test and code to satisfy that test.

Another note: I'll be writing the most basic c++ I can, always going for the simplest route rather than the more correct one. For instance, rather than using a private member with a getter and setter, I'll use a public member, until such time as I find I need to implement accessors for some reason.

Neuron
./source/neuron.h

1. #ifndef __NEURON_H__


2. #define __NEURON_H__


3. class Neuron {


4. //...


5. };


6. #endif /* __NEURON_H__ */

First we will need a header guard, it's ALWAYS a good idea to put them in, they prevent the header file from being included more than once in any compile.

Next, I'll add some obvious parts to the class:

• constructor/destructor
• store a value for the neuron (an int for now, as I mentioned before)
• some way to act/fire the neuron
• a way to pass input to and receive output from the neuron
• a way to link to other neurons
  

./source/neuron.h

1. class Neuron {


2. public:


3. Neuron();


4. ~Neuron();




6. int connect(Neuron *dest); //connect to another neuron
   


7. Neuron* operator[](const int index) const; //get a connection by index


8. bool input(const int value);


9. TFunctor* callback;


10. private:


11. int (*_gate)(int a, int b); //the mathematical function to use when this neuron fires


12. int _value;


13. Neuron* _links[NEURON_RANK]; //all the neurons this one connects to
    




15. };

So, now I can create a neuron, and destroy it. I can connect it to another neuron and access linked neurons by index. I have a gate/action , and I have a value that the neuron stores. I also have a callback to get output from the neuron.

The callback is a functor, I'll write up more on that in the next post

_gate is a function pointer. I've opted to implement them separately as non-class in-line functions, so that they are easily interchangeable (to my thinking, a neuron should know it's value, not what to do with it.).

The gate functions are implemented like this:

./source/gate.h

1. #ifndef __GATE_H__


2. #define __GATE_H__


3. inline int add(int a, int b){ return(a+b);}


4. inline int subtract(int a, int b){ return(a-b);}


5. inline int multiply(int a, int b){ return(a*b);}


6. inline int divide(int a, int b){ if (b>0) {return(a/b);} else { return 1;}}


7. inline int pass_a(int a, int b){ return a;}


8. inline int pass_b(int a, int b){ return b;}


9. #endif /* __GATE_H__ */

Where pass_a and pass_b are special gates which just propagate one of their inputs.
(I think some neurons don't have to do anything, they just relay info. Some will relay what is told to them, others will relay their own values regardless of what is told to them)

Before I delve into how neurons work together, I think it's time to test a single neuron on it's own.
Test it like a bi-curious nun
./test/test_neuron.cpp

1. //... implementation omitted for brevity


2. int main() {


3. printf("test_constructor: %d\n", test_constructor());


4. printf("test_connect: %d\n", test_connect());


5. printf("test_operator[]: %d\n", test_operator());


6. printf("test_input: %d\n", test_input());


7. printf("test_callback: %d\n", test_callback());


8. printf("end of tests\n");


9. }