Felix currently generates C/C++ callable dynamically loadable objects.
They can be used as a program using flx_run as a mainline driver.
However, such modules can't inter-call each other, despite the export
directive, because there are no interfaces.
In addition, there are some constraints on a library. Since Felix uses
a gc,
and it is passed in a 'thread frame' object, library functions need to
be passed that object. But this means libraries cannot contain any
"global" variables, at least as long as it shares its thread frame
object.
[Because all these object cannot agree where in the thread frame
to put them].
One way to generate a library (safely) is to put a declaration:
library;
in the library mainline. Another way would be a compiler switch:
flxg --library ...
This basically errors out if any global variables are instantiated.
Note that a library may still need initialisation for static variables,
for example strings generated from null terminated char arrays
(that is, Felix string literals). Felix currently doesn't allow explicit
static (i.e. global in the C sense) variables, not even
constants. But you can make them with C bindings anyhow:)
Another effect of a library would be to generate an interface
(Felix interface!)
Interfaces are complicated quite a bit by the need to
recursively define all the types involved, including
possibly C bindings. The actual interfaces for functions
would also be C bindings.
for generated types, this is a problem since the Felix name
is usually incomprehensible, therefor the client has
to export many types with sensible names.
This is a problem if two libraries then require the same
type. I do not know how to solve this: basically we need
a standard "name mangling" algorithm, but that just
identifies a duplication, instead of ensuring no
duplication. This really matters a LOT for structural
types like tuples.
--
john skaller
skal...@users.sourceforge.net
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