[M3commit] C typedefs for CARDINAL/LONGCARD?

[Jay K]

> > add CARDINAL and LONGCARD as synonyms for ptrdiff_t and INT64


 

As I see things, there are two approximations, and nothing "exact".

INTEGER is exactly ptrdiff_t.

LONGINT is exactly long long or __int64.

 

 

CARDINAL is approx INTEGER (ptrdiff_t) and approx size_t, but neither is quite right.

LONGCARD is approx LONGINT (long long/__int64) and approx unsigned long long/__int64, but neither is quite right.

  The C unsigned types are "full range", but the Modula-3 unsigned types are "half range".

 

 

Another approximation would be:

 

 

typedef struct {

  unsigned long or something value: 31 or 63;

} CARDINAL;

 

typedef struct {

  unsigned long long value: 63;

} LONGCARD;

 

That is at least a way to get the correct positive "half range".

but that's just worth wondering about -- passing small structs by value.

There's probably no portable way to get a >32bit bit field on a 32bit system,

even if there is "long long".

 

I view this kind of a stylistic thing, kind of a correctness thing.

 

If I have:

<* EXTERNAL Interface__Foo*> PROCEDURE Foo(a: CARDINAL);

 

What should I write in C?

 

void Foo(size_t a) { }

void Foo(ptrdiff_t a) { }

 

void Foo(CARDINAL a) { } This at least looks nice, but how does one make it correct?

 

Perhaps such a declaration just should not be written? Instead use INTEGER?

 

Imagine our C/Modula-3 interop story were so advanced, that we generated C header files

from Modula-3 .i3 files. What then?

 

 

Again, I'm willing to consider the option is "don't do that".

Such an advanced system might just omit functions taking CARDINAL/LONGCARD.

  After all -- where does the subrange check occur? If it is at the call, then

  C code would too easily violate the safety.

  If it is at the receipt, then the pattern I have too easily violates the safety

   receiving the values in C.

 

 

Again I'm open to the idea that CARDINAL/LONGCARD don't interoperate with C.

 

 

 - Jay
 
> From: hosking at cs.purdue.edu
> Date: Fri, 9 Apr 2010 13:00:40 -0400
> To: jkrell at elego.de
> CC: m3commit at elegosoft.com
> Subject: Re: [M3commit] CVS Update: cm3
> 
> I'm not sure you want always to assume that. I find these synonyms a little misleading.
> 
> On 9 Apr 2010, at 11:35, Jay Krell wrote:
> 
> > CVSROOT: /usr/cvs
> > Changes by: jkrell at birch. 10/04/09 11:35:54
> > 
> > Modified files:
> > cm3/m3-libs/m3core/src/: m3core.h 
> > 
> > Log message:
> > add CARDINAL and LONGCARD as synonyms for ptrdiff_t and INT64
> 
 		 	   		  
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