@@ -50,6 +50,44 @@ In `Scope` class, there is a private data member called `parent_`. `parent_` is
A local scope is very useful when we implement Recurrent Neural Network. Each timestep of an RNN should be a `Net`. Each `Net` of timestep (`StepNet` for short) should use an independent local scope. Just like variables in a while loop is inside a local scope in programming languages. By using a single `StepNet` and changing local scope, we can implement an RNN easily.
To ensure `only scope can create a variable`, we should mark `Variable`'s constructor as a private member function, and Scope is a friend class of Variable. And then only `CreateVariable` can construct `Variable`.
## When scope destroyed, all variables inside this scope should be destroyed together
The `VariablePtr` is a `weak_ptr`. `Net` and `Op` can only get a Variable from `Scope`, but cannot hold it. When scope is destroyed, all `VariablePtr`s belong to this Scope will be changed to `nullptr`.
## Sharing a parent scope
Local scope contains a `parent_` pointer. It is a linked-list for scopes. Using a `shared_ptr` because when a local scope is using, its parents cannot be destroyed.
## Orthogonal interface
`GetVariable` will return `nullptr` when `name` is not found. It can be used as `Contains` method. `CreateVariable` will return a `Error` when there is a name conflict locally. Combine `GetVariable` and `CreateVariable`, we can implement `CreateOrGetVariable` easily.