How to put a subclass object in an array of superclass objects?

In my code, I have two kinds of networks:

classdef Network <handle classdef NetworkMatrix <Network

and one 'holder class': classdef MetaNetwork <handle

which stores Networks (among other things). The holder class has methods to get networks by ID from an internal Map() and a method to get Networks from an array of other Networks.

I use the network matrix class to do some specific matrix alegbra and other operations on these networks, and it updates the map object just fine. However, when I stick a network in the internal network array the code creates a new Network, rather than just creating a reference to the NetworkMatrix object. Therefore, I lose any changes in the networkMatrix that occurs after the Network was initialized.

Question 1: Can I stick a subclass in an array of superclass objects instead of creating a new instance of the superclass object?

Question 2: (Assuming the answer to 1 is no) Can I change the way it pulls out objects without converitng the internal Network Array to a cell array that contains only networks and modifying all of the indexing to cell indexing?

Answer 1

[Andrew Newell]

The answer to Question 1 is yes, although how you do it depends on the version of MATLAB. See this discussion on polymorphism.

[Robert B]

I am using MATLAB R2009a, which seems to leave 'deploying the cell array' or using a converter method as my options. If I create a converter method, does that create a new instance of the superclass object, or does it converte the memory location of the subclass object to a poitner to a similar superclass object? (That is, will everything that points to the old object now point to the converted object?)

[Andrew Newell]

It creates a new instance of the superclass object.