diff --git a/include/core/common/factory.h b/include/core/common/factory.h
index f03cabec9a7527801464d9e4e025464a7d23f0ad..810871e64fd3ed645d3412a21836ea8d3e6b93cc 100644
--- a/include/core/common/factory.h
+++ b/include/core/common/factory.h
@@ -25,35 +25,61 @@ namespace wolf
/** \brief Singleton template factory
*
- * This class implements a generic factory as a singleton.
- *
- * > IMPORTANT: This template factory can be used to construct many different objects except:
- * > - Objects deriving from SensorBase --> see SensorFactory
- * > - Objects deriving from ProcessorBase --> see ProcessorFactory
- * >
- * > The reason for this is that the two cases above need a more elaborated API than the one in this template class.
+ * This template class implements a generic factory as a singleton.
*
* \param TypeBase base type of all the objects created by the factory
- * \param TypeInput type of the input argument. Typical cases are std::string for file names, and YAML::Node for YAML nodes.
+ * \param TypeInput variadic type for the input arguments.
+ *
+ * ### Template specialization
*
* - The class is templatized on the class of the produced objects, __TypeBase__.
* The produced objects are always of a class deriving from TypeBase.
- * The returned data is always a pointer to TypeBase.
+ * The returned data is always a shared pointer to TypeBase.
*
* For example, you may use as __TypeBase__ the following types:
* - LandmarkBase: the Factory creates landmarks deriving from LandmarkBase and returns base pointers ````LandmarkBasePtr```` to them
* - ParamsSensorBase: the Factory creates intrinsic parameters deriving from ParamsSensorBase and returns base pointers ````ParamsSensorBasePtr```` to them
* - XxxBase: the Factory creates objects deriving from XxxBase and returns pointers ````XxxBasePtr```` to them.
*
- * - The class in also templatized on the type of the input parameter of the creator, __TypeInput__:
- * - ````std::string```` is used when the input parameter is a file name from which to read data (typically a YAML file).
- * - ````YAML::Node```` is used when the input parameter is a YAML node with structured data.
+ * - The class is variadic-templatized on the types of the input parameter of the creator, __TypeInput__:
+ * - ````std::string```` is used when the input parameter is a file name from which to read data (typically a YAML file).
+ * - ````std::string, wolf::ParamsServer``` is used when nodes are build from parameters in the ParamsServer
+ * - ````YAML::Node```` is used when the input parameter is a YAML node with structured data.
+ * - Any other variadic list of inputs is possible.
+ *
+ * - Examples of specific factories existing in Wolf are:
+ * \code
+ *
+ * // SensorFactory
+ * typedef Factory<SensorBase, // Type of objects to be created: SensorBasePtr
+ * const std::string&, // Name of the sensor
+ * const Eigen::VectorXd&, // Sensor extrinsics
+ * const ParamsSensorBasePtr> // Sensor parameters
+ * SensorFactory;
+ *
+ * // ProcessorFactory
+ * typedef Factory<ProcessorBase, // Type of object created: ProcessorBasePtr
+ * const std::string&, // Name of the processor
+ * const ParamsProcessorBasePtr> // Parameters for creating the processor
+ * ProcessorFactory;
+ *
+ * // AutoConfProcessorFactory
+ * typedef Factory<ProcessorBase, // Type of object created: ProcessorBasePtr
+ * const std::string&, // Name of the processor
+ * const ParamsServer> // Parameters for creating the processor
+ * AutoConfProcessorFactory;
+ *
+ * // Landmarks from YAML
+ * typedef Factory<LandmarkBase, // Type of node created: LandmarkBasePtr
+ * const YAML::Node&> // YAML node with the lmk params
+ * LandmarkFactory;
+ * \endcode
*
* ### Operation of the factory
*
* #### Rationale
*
- * This factory can create objects of classes deriving from TypeBase.
+ * Once specialized, this factory can create objects of classes deriving from TypeBase.
*
* > For example, if you want to make a Landmark factory, set TypeBase = LandmarkBase.\n
* > Then, the factory will create specific landmarks deriving from LandmarkBase.\n
@@ -75,18 +101,18 @@ namespace wolf
* - Examples: Write and register a landmark creator for LandmarkPolyline2d.
*
* #### Define correct TYPE names
- * The rule to make new TYPE strings unique is that you skip the generic 'Type' prefix from your class name,
- * and you build a string in CAPITALS with space separators, e.g.:
- * - ParamsSensorCamera -> ````"CAMERA"````
- * - ParamsSensorLaser2d -> ````"LASER 2d"````
- * - LandmarkPolyline2d -> ````"POLYLINE 2d"````
+ * We use a std::string with literally the same text as the derived class name, e.g.:
+ * - ParamsSensorCamera -> ````"ParamsSensorCamera"````
+ * - ParamsSensorLaser2d -> ````"ParamsSensorLaser2d"````
+ * - LandmarkPolyline2d -> ````"LandmarkPolyline2d"````
* - etc.
*
* #### Access the factory
+ *
* The first thing to know is that we have defined typedefs for the templates that we are using. For example:
*
* \code
- * typedef Factory<ParamsSensorBase, std::string> ParamsSensorFactory;
+ * typedef Factory<ParamsSensorBase, std::string> ParamsSensorFactory;
* typedef Factory<ProcessorParamsBase, std::string> ProcessorParamsFactory;
* typedef Factory<LandmarkBase, YAML::Node> LandmarkFactory;
* \endcode
@@ -103,10 +129,11 @@ namespace wolf
* You can then call the methods you like, e.g. to create a landmark, you use:
*
* \code
- * LandmarkFactory::get().create(...); // see below for creating objects ...
+ * LandmarkFactory::get().create(TYPE, args...); // see below for creating objects ...
* \endcode
*
* #### Write creator methods (in your derived object classes)
+ *
* The method LandmarkPolyline2d::create(...) exists in the LandmarkPolyline2d class as a static method.
* All these ````XxxXxx::create()```` methods need to have exactly the same API, regardless of the object type.
* The API puts into play the two template parameters:
@@ -234,12 +261,16 @@ namespace wolf
template<class TypeBase, typename... TypeInput>
class Factory
{
+ private:
typedef std::shared_ptr<TypeBase> TypeBasePtr;
+
public:
// example of creator callback (see typedefs below)
typedef TypeBasePtr (*CreatorCallback)(TypeInput... _input);
+
private:
typedef std::map<std::string, CreatorCallback> CallbackMap;
+
public:
bool registerCreator(const std::string& _type, CreatorCallback createFn);
bool unregisterCreator(const std::string& _type);