How do the features here compare to what you get for structs from h2xs or swig? Are
these a superset of features they provide? I just went through the process of learning
about h2xs, swig, and inline, then choosing inline for the module I'm working on.
However, there were some nice things in h2xs & swig that aren't obvious to me how to
do with inline. #defines, enums, etc.
One bug I found in h2xs was handling a typedef'd enum embedded in a struct. Chokes
trying to generate the typemap unless the embedded enum is anonymous. Is there any
provision for enums in Inline::Struct?
On that topic, how about an 'h2inline'? Would be extremely handy for writing perl
modules to wrap C libraries - parse a header, and emit a <module>.pm file full of
Inline::c and Inline::Struct, plus lots of boilerplate POD. Optionally expose
functions, structs, enums, #defines, constants, etc.
-David
On Tue, 27 March 2001, Neil Watkiss wrote:
>
> Here is an update on the status of Inline::Struct.
>
> The first working version is finished, but will not be available until
> Brian returns, because it requires a patch to Inline.pm. That patch is
> included at the bottom for the more curious inliners.
>
> Inline::Struct will probably be distributed with the core Inline package.
>
> SYNOPSIS:
> use Inline C => <<'END', STRUCTS => ['Foo'];
>
> struct Foo {
> int inum;
> double dnum;
> char *str;
> };
> typedef struct Foo Foo;
>
> END
>
> my $o = new Inline::Struct::Foo;
> $o->inum(10);
> $o->dnum(3.1415);
> $o->str('Wazzup?');
>
> my %fields = %{$o->_HASH};
> my @keys = @{$o->_KEYS};
> my @fields = @{$o->_ARRAY};
>
> package Inline::Struct::Foo;
> sub Print {
> my $o = shift;
> print "Foo {\n", (join "\n", map { $o->$_() } $o->_KEYS), "}\n";
> }
>
> FEATURES
> o Adds two new configuration options to C and C++:
> STRUCTS:
> Takes either the name of a struct, or an array ref containing a list
> of structs to bind.
> NOSTRUCTS:
> Suppresses binding of structs to Perl.
> o In the absence of STRUCTS and NOSTRUCTS, any structs will automatically
> be bound to Perl. They will be put in Inline::Struct::<struct name>.
> o Automatically generates three things for bound structs:
> - a Perl class with the following autogenerated methods:
> new -- if no arguments, creates a zero'd struct.
> -- elsif the arguments equal the number of fields, assigns the
> arguments to the fields in the struct order.
> -- elsif the number of args is divisible by 2, assume it's a
> "hash" assignment: new Foo(str => 'neil', inum => 10). Any
> unassigned items remain zero'd.
> -- else croak.
> DESTROY -- frees the C structure, iff it was allocated by Perl.
> _HASH -- returns a hash ref containing the field/value pairs.
> _ARRAY -- returns an array ref containing the field values. Struct
> order.
> _KEYS -- returns an array ref containing the field names. Struct
> order.
> In addition, each field generates a method of the same name. If you
> pass it no arguments, it returns the value of that field. If you pass
> it an argument, it sets that field and returns the object, so that
> you can chain such assignments: $o->inum(10)->dnum(3.1415);
> - typemaps: For each struct, it generates a typemap so that you can
> pass struct objects back into Perl from C functions, or vice versa.
> - convenience macros:
> INLINE_STRUCT_NEW(target, type) -- allocate a new <type>
> INLINE_STRUCT_FIELDS(type) -- returns number of fields in <type>
> INLINE_STRUCT_INIT_LIST(target, type) -- inits the target from ST()
> INLINE_STRUCT_INIT_HASH(target, type) -- inits the target from ST()
> INLINE_STRUCT_ARRAY(src, targ, type) -- creates an array from src
> INLINE_STRUCT_HASH(src, targ, type) -- creates a hash from src
> INLINE_STRUCT_KEYS(src, targ, type) -- creates a key list from src
> INLINE_STRUCT_GIVE(src, type) -- "give" a C struct to Perl for memory
> handling. Once this is done, you are forbidden from freeing the
> memory used by the struct, since Perl will also try to free it. If
> you do not give the struct to Perl, you can still pass the struct
> to Perl subs, but you will be responsible for cleaning it up
> yourself. Note that there is no corresponding INLINE_STRUCT_TAKE(),
> because that could leave Perl scalars lying around which still
> think they refer to a valid C struct, but that struct has been
> deleted by the overzealous C programmer. This macro may be
> introduced in the future.
>
> Feature requests? Interface enhancements or suggestions? Let me know!
>
> Later,
> Neil
>
> --8<--Patch to Inline.pm--8<--
> @@ -428,7 +428,7 @@
> next if $mod eq 'Files';
> ($mod) = $mod =~ /(.*)/ if UNTAINT;
> eval "require
> Inline::$mod;\$register=&Inline::${mod}::register";
> - croak usage_register($mod, $@) if $@;
> + next if $@;
> my $language = $register->{language}
> or croak usage_register($mod);
> for (@{$register->{aliases}}) {
>
> Reason for patch:
>
> Inline.pm currently croaks whenever it finds an Inline module which does
> not support the Inline API. Inline::Struct and Inline::Files are two such
> modules. Note that Inline::Files has been special cased. This is not
> correct behaviour, which is to ignore non-Inline modules, rather than
> croak.
> --8<--End of patch--8<--
