// part of the base class - note the pure virtual function virt_drawShape...
// this is the root of the problem it would seem.
class Shapes {
public:
	Shapes(SDL_Surface* scrn);
	void setPos(int x1, int y1);
	virtual void virt_drawShape() = 0;
	int getX1();
	int getX2();
	int getY1();
	int getY2();
		
};

// in main program....
// some possible shape vectors
vector<ProcessShape> processVec;
vector<ProcessShape>::iterator processVecIter;
vector<DecisionShape> decisionVec;
vector<DecisionShape>::iterator decisionVecIter;
vector<StartStopShape> startstopVec;
vector<StartStopShape>::iterator startstopVecIter;

// The way i want to do the search...
// this method returns a general shape object pointer but checks
// through the specific vector shapes.
Shapes* search(int x, int y)
{
// Create a generic shape.
Shapes* obj_found = NULL;

             // if the generic shape is no longer null... return it
             // this is where i go through all the different shape types.
	if (obj_found != checkVec(x,y, decisionVec))
		return obj_found;
	else if (obj_found != checkVec(x,y, startstopVec))
		return obj_found;
	else return obj_found;
}

// its this method that does not work...
// this method checks each shape in a vector, and compares co-ordinates.
Shapes* checkVec(int x, int y, const vector<Shapes>& shapeVec)
{
	// create a generic shape vector
             Shapes* obj_found = NULL;	
	vector<Shapes>::iterator it;
             // loop through all the shapes in the vector...
	for ( ; it != _ptr_shapeVec->end(); ++it)
	{
		// if the co-ordiantes match... remember where...
                          if ((x == it->getX1()) & (y == it->getY1()))
		{
                                 obj_found = shapeVec(it);
		}
	}
	return obj_found;
}