Change QPDFObjectHandle == to isSameObjectAs

Replace operator== and operator!=, which were testing for the same
underlying object, with isSameObjectAs. This change was motivated by
the fact that pikepdf internally had its own operator== method for
QPDFObjectHandle that did structural comparison. I backed out qpdf's
operator== as a courtesy to pikepdf (in my own testing) but also
because I think people might naturally assume that operator== does a
structural comparison, and isSameObjectAs is clearer in its intent.

ChangeLog

@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 2022-09-09  Jay Berkenbilt  <ejb@ql.org>
 
+        * Add QPDFObjectHandle::isSameObjectAs to test whether two
+        QPDFObjectHandle objects point to the same underlying object.
+
         * Expose ability to create custom loggers and to get and set the
         logger for QPDF and QPDFJob through the C API.
 
@@ -29,10 +32,6 @@
         * Add new methods getArtBox and getBleedBox to
         QPDFPageObjectHelper, completing the set of bounding box methods.
 
-        * Add == equality for QPDFObjectHandle. Two QPDFObjectHandle
-        objects are equal if they point to the same underlying object,
-        meaning changes to one will be reflected in the other.
-
         * The --show-encryption option now works even if a correct
         password is not supplied. If you were using --show-encryption to
         test whether you have the right password, use --requires-password

include/qpdf/QPDFObjectHandle.hh

@@ -334,14 +334,13 @@ class QPDFObjectHandle
     QPDF_DLL
     inline bool isInitialized() const;
 
-    // Two QPDFObjectHandle objects are equal if they point to exactly
+    // This method returns true if the QPDFObjectHandle objects point
-    // the same underlying object, meaning that changes to one are
+    // to exactly the same underlying object, meaning that changes to
-    // reflected in the other, or "if you paint one, the other one
+    // one are reflected in the other, or "if you paint one, the other
-    // changes color."
+    // one changes color." This does not perform a structural
+    // comparison of the contents of the objects.
     QPDF_DLL
-    bool operator==(QPDFObjectHandle const&) const;
+    bool isSameObjectAs(QPDFObjectHandle const&) const;
-    QPDF_DLL
-    bool operator!=(QPDFObjectHandle const&) const;
 
     // Return type code and type name of underlying object.  These are
     // useful for doing rapid type tests (like switch statements) or

libqpdf/QPDFObjectHandle.cc

@@ -237,17 +237,11 @@ LastChar::getLastChar()
 }
 
 bool
-QPDFObjectHandle::operator==(QPDFObjectHandle const& rhs) const
+QPDFObjectHandle::isSameObjectAs(QPDFObjectHandle const& rhs) const
 {
     return this->obj == rhs.obj;
 }
 
-bool
-QPDFObjectHandle::operator!=(QPDFObjectHandle const& rhs) const
-{
-    return this->obj != rhs.obj;
-}
-
 void
 QPDFObjectHandle::disconnect()
 {

manual/release-notes.rst

@@ -231,12 +231,12 @@ For a detailed list of changes, please see the file
       still valid, but it's also possible to have direct objects that
       don't have an owning ``QPDF``.
 
-    - It is now possible to test ``QPDFObjectHandle`` equality with
+    - Add method ``QPDFObjectHandle::isSameObjectAs`` for testing
-      ``==`` and ``!=``. Two ``QPDFObjectHandle`` objects are equal if
+      whether two ``QPDFObjectHandle`` objects point to the same
-      they point to the same underlying object, meaning changes to one
+      underlying object, meaning changes to one will be reflected in
-      will be reflected in the other. Note that this method does not
+      the other. Note that this method does not compare the contents
-      compare the contents of the objects, so two distinct but
+      of the objects, so two distinct but structurally identical
-      structurally identical objects will not be considered equal.
+      objects will not be considered the same object.
 
     - New factory method ``QPDF::create()`` returns a
       ``std::shared_ptr<QPDF>``.

qpdf/test_driver.cc

@@ -3340,22 +3340,22 @@ test_93(QPDF& pdf, char const* arg2)
     auto trailer = pdf.getTrailer();
     auto root1 = trailer.getKey("/Root");
     auto root2 = pdf.getRoot();
-    assert(root1 == root2);
+    assert(root1.isSameObjectAs(root2));
     auto oh1 = "<< /One /Two >>"_qpdf;
     auto oh2 = oh1;
-    assert(oh1 == oh2);
+    assert(oh1.isSameObjectAs(oh2));
     auto oh3 = "<< /One /Two >>"_qpdf;
-    assert(oh1 != oh3);
+    assert(!oh1.isSameObjectAs(oh3));
     oh2.replaceKey("/One", "/Three"_qpdf);
-    assert(oh1 == oh2);
+    assert(oh1.isSameObjectAs(oh2));
     assert(oh2.unparse() == "<< /One /Three >>");
     assert(!oh1.isIndirect());
     auto oh4 = pdf.makeIndirectObject(oh1);
-    assert(oh1 == oh4);
+    assert(oh1.isSameObjectAs(oh4));
     assert(oh1.isIndirect());
     assert(oh4.isIndirect());
     trailer.replaceKey("/Potato", oh1);
-    assert(trailer.getKey("/Potato") == oh2);
+    assert(trailer.getKey("/Potato").isSameObjectAs(oh2));
 }
 
 static void
@@ -3385,76 +3385,76 @@ test_94(QPDF& pdf, char const* arg2)
 
     assert(p1.getObjectHandle().getKey("/MediaBox").isNull());
     // MediaBox not present, so get inherited one
-    assert(p1.getMediaBox(false) == root_media);
+    assert(p1.getMediaBox(false).isSameObjectAs(root_media));
     // Other boxesBox not present, so fall back to MediaBox
-    assert(p1.getCropBox(false, false) == root_media);
+    assert(p1.getCropBox(false, false).isSameObjectAs(root_media));
-    assert(p1.getBleedBox(false, false) == root_media);
+    assert(p1.getBleedBox(false, false).isSameObjectAs(root_media));
-    assert(p1.getTrimBox(false, false) == root_media);
+    assert(p1.getTrimBox(false, false).isSameObjectAs(root_media));
-    assert(p1.getArtBox(false, false) == root_media);
+    assert(p1.getArtBox(false, false).isSameObjectAs(root_media));
     // Make copy of artbox
     auto p1_new_art = p1.getArtBox(false, true);
     assert(p1_new_art.unparse() == root_media_unparse);
-    assert(p1_new_art != root_media);
+    assert(!p1_new_art.isSameObjectAs(root_media));
     // This also copied cropbox
     auto p1_new_crop = p1.getCropBox(false, false);
-    assert(p1_new_crop != root_media);
+    assert(!p1_new_crop.isSameObjectAs(root_media));
-    assert(p1_new_crop != p1_new_art);
+    assert(!p1_new_crop.isSameObjectAs(p1_new_art));
     assert(p1_new_crop.unparse() == root_media_unparse);
     // But it didn't copy Media
-    assert(p1.getMediaBox(false) == root_media);
+    assert(p1.getMediaBox(false).isSameObjectAs(root_media));
     // Now fall back to new crop
-    assert(p1.getTrimBox(false, false) == p1_new_crop);
+    assert(p1.getTrimBox(false, false).isSameObjectAs(p1_new_crop));
     // Request copy. The value returned has the same structure but is
     // a different object.
     auto p1_effective_media = p1.getMediaBox(true);
     assert(p1_effective_media.unparse() == root_media_unparse);
-    assert(p1_effective_media != root_media);
+    assert(!p1_effective_media.isSameObjectAs(root_media));
 
     // copy_on_fallback didn't have to copy media to crop
-    assert(p2.getMediaBox(false) == root_media);
+    assert(p2.getMediaBox(false).isSameObjectAs(root_media));
     auto p2_crop = p2.getCropBox(false, false);
     auto p2_new_trim = p2.getTrimBox(false, true);
     assert(p2_new_trim.unparse() == p2_crop.unparse());
-    assert(p2_new_trim != p2_crop);
+    assert(!p2_new_trim.isSameObjectAs(p2_crop));
-    assert(p2.getMediaBox(false) == root_media);
+    assert(p2.getMediaBox(false).isSameObjectAs(root_media));
 
     // We didn't need to copy anything
     auto p3_media = p3.getMediaBox(false);
     auto p3_crop = p3.getCropBox(false, false);
-    assert(p3.getMediaBox(true) == p3_media);
+    assert(p3.getMediaBox(true).isSameObjectAs(p3_media));
-    assert(p3.getCropBox(true, true) == p3_crop);
+    assert(p3.getCropBox(true, true).isSameObjectAs(p3_crop));
 
     // We didn't have to copy for bleed but we did for art
     auto p4_orig_crop = p4.getObjectHandle().getKey("/CropBox");
     auto p4_crop = p4.getCropBox(false, false);
-    assert(p4_orig_crop == p4_crop);
+    assert(p4_orig_crop.isSameObjectAs(p4_crop));
     auto p4_bleed1 = p4.getBleedBox(false, false);
     auto p4_bleed2 = p4.getBleedBox(false, true);
-    assert(p4_bleed1 != p4_crop);
+    assert(!p4_bleed1.isSameObjectAs(p4_crop));
-    assert(p4_bleed1 == p4_bleed2);
+    assert(p4_bleed1.isSameObjectAs(p4_bleed2));
     auto p4_art1 = p4.getArtBox(false, false);
-    assert(p4_art1 == p4_crop);
+    assert(p4_art1.isSameObjectAs(p4_crop));
     auto p4_art2 = p4.getArtBox(false, true);
-    assert(p4_art2 != p4_crop);
+    assert(!p4_art2.isSameObjectAs(p4_crop));
     auto p4_new_crop = p4.getCropBox(true, false);
-    assert(p4_new_crop != p4_orig_crop);
+    assert(!p4_new_crop.isSameObjectAs(p4_orig_crop));
     assert(p4_orig_crop.isIndirect());
     assert(!p4_new_crop.isIndirect());
     assert(p4_new_crop.unparse() == p4_orig_crop.unparseResolved());
 
     // Exercise copying for inheritance and fallback
-    assert(p5.getMediaBox(false) == root_media);
+    assert(p5.getMediaBox(false).isSameObjectAs(root_media));
-    assert(p5.getCropBox(false, false) == root_media);
+    assert(p5.getCropBox(false, false).isSameObjectAs(root_media));
-    assert(p5.getBleedBox(false, false) == root_media);
+    assert(p5.getBleedBox(false, false).isSameObjectAs(root_media));
     auto p5_new_bleed = p5.getBleedBox(true, true);
     auto p5_new_media = p5.getMediaBox(false);
     auto p5_new_crop = p5.getCropBox(false, false);
-    assert(p5_new_media != root_media);
+    assert(!p5_new_media.isSameObjectAs(root_media));
-    assert(p5_new_crop != root_media);
+    assert(!p5_new_crop.isSameObjectAs(root_media));
-    assert(p5_new_crop != p5_new_media);
+    assert(!p5_new_crop.isSameObjectAs(p5_new_media));
-    assert(p5_new_bleed != root_media);
+    assert(!p5_new_bleed.isSameObjectAs(root_media));
-    assert(p5_new_bleed != p5_new_media);
+    assert(!p5_new_bleed.isSameObjectAs(p5_new_media));
-    assert(p5_new_bleed != p5_new_crop);
+    assert(!p5_new_bleed.isSameObjectAs(p5_new_crop));
     assert(p5_new_media.unparse() == root_media_unparse);
     assert(p5_new_crop.unparse() == root_media_unparse);
     assert(p5_new_bleed.unparse() == root_media_unparse);