Calling a class's static method from its metadata

I am looking to create a number of classes which all subclass a superclass, AnalysisFunction in this case, which defines one abstract static method, results = apply(ClassWithData).

I want a controller class to be able to call apply(classWithData) on all classes which subclass AnalysisFunction. My initial plan is to create a namespace to house all the subclasses I want to be called then in the controller get the namespace's metadata object, loop through the present classes, check if each subclasses AnalysisFunction and if it does, call apply(classWithData) on the class.

To do this, I need to be able to evaluate a method against a class from its metadata. A simple, though in my opinion ugly, way of doing this is to use eval with the class's name (from the metadata object) and .apply(classWithData) concatenated as a string.

Is there a way to avoid the use of eval, or indeed a better way entirely from what I am proposing to achieve the calling of such an abstract static function on all subclasses? Thanks in advance!

[Matt J]

I want a controller class to be able to call apply(classWithData) on all classes which subclass AnalysisFunction.

Why is it a static method if it takes an object of that same subclass as an argument. Shouldn't it be an overloaded non-Static method?

[Thomas Atkinson]

Ah, sorry, probably wasn't so clear. classWithData is another class I've made such that it behaves like a struct (SetAccess = private) so I can store data centrally and have each analysis function fetch what it needs.

[Thomas Atkinson]

Here's a rubbish UML of what I'm trying to get. classWithData is an instance of DataStore.

Answer 1

[Matt J]

or indeed a better way entirely from what I am proposing to achieve the calling of such an abstract static function on all subclasses?

If you have an object of the sub-class present, you can use it to call the Static method of the sub-class.

if isa(obj,'AnalysisFunction')
    
    obj.apply(classWithData);
    
end

[Matt J]

Is there a way to avoid the use of eval

Aside from the above, you could use feval instead.

feval(str2func(class(obj)+".apply"), classWithData)