Most Solver entities are implemented by means of two classes: a handle class and an implementation class, where an object of the handle class contains a data member (the handle pointer) that points to an object (its implementation object) of the corresponding implementation class. As a Solver user, you will be working primarily with handles.

As handles, these objects should be passed by value, and they should be created as automatic objects, where “automatic” has the usual C++ meaning.

The name of the implementation class consists of the name of the corresponding handle class followed by the letter I to indicate implementation. For example, the class IlcConstraint is a handle class; the class IlcConstraintI is the corresponding implementation class.

Member functions of a handle class correspond to member functions of the same name in the implementation class.