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emacs/mps/design/writef.txt
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.. mode: -*- rst -*-
The WriteF function
===================
:Tag: design.mps.writef
:Author: Richard Brooksby
:Date: 1996-10-18
:Status: incomplete design
:Revision: $Id$
:Copyright: See `Copyright and License`_.
:Index terms: pair: WriteF function; design
Introduction
------------
_`.intro`: This document describes the ``WriteF()`` function, which
allows formatted output in a manner similar to ANSI C ``printf``, but
allows the MPM to operate in a freestanding environment (see
design.mps.exec-env).
_`.background`: The documents design.mps.exec-env and design.mps.lib
describe the design of the library interface and the reason that it
exists.
Design
------
_`.no-printf`: There is no dependency on ``printf()``. The MPM only
depends on ``fputc()`` and ``fputs()``, via the Library Interface
(design.mps.lib). This makes it much easier to deploy the MPS in a
freestanding environment. This is achieved by implementing our own
internal output routines in mpm.c.
Our output requirements are few, so the code is short. The only output
function which should be used in the rest of the MPM is ``WriteF()``,
which is similar to ``fprintf()``:
``Res WriteF(mps_lib_FILE *stream, ...)``
``WriteF()`` expects a format string followed by zero or more items to
insert into the output, followed by another format string, more items,
and so on, and finally a ``NULL`` format string. For example::
WriteF(stream,
"Hello: $A\n", address,
"Spong: $U ($S)\n", number, string,
NULL);
This makes ``Describe()`` methods much easier to write. For example, ``BufferDescribe()`` might contain the following code::
WriteF(stream,
"Buffer $P ($U) {\n", (WriteFP)buffer, (WriteFU)buffer->serial,
" base $A init $A alloc $A limit $A\n",
(WriteFA)buffer->base, (WriteFA)buffer->ap.init,
(WriteFA)buffer->ap.alloc, (WriteFA)buffer->ap.limit,
" Pool $P\n", (WriteFP)buffer->pool,
" Seg $P\n", (WriteFP)buffer->seg,
" rank $U\n", (WriteFU)buffer->rank,
" alignment $W\n", (WriteFW)buffer->alignment,
" grey $B\n", (WriteFB)buffer->grey,
" shieldMode $B\n", (WriteFB)buffer->shieldMode,
" p $P i $U\n", (WriteFP)buffer->p, (WriteFU)buffer->i,
"} Buffer $P ($U)\n", (WriteFP)buffer, (WriteFU)buffer->serial,
NULL);
_`.types`: For each format ``$X`` that ``WriteF()`` supports, there is a
type defined in impl.h.mpmtypes ``WriteFX()`` which is the promoted
version of that type. These are provided both to ensure promotion and
to avoid any confusion about what type should be used in a cast. It is
easy to check the casts against the formats to ensure that they
correspond.
_`.types.future`: It is possibly that this type set or similar may be
used in future in some generalisation of varargs in the MPS.
_`.formats`: The formats supported are as follows.
======= =========== ================== ======================================
Code Bame Type Example rendering
======= =========== ================== ======================================
``$A`` address ``Addr`` ``000000019EF60010``
``$P`` pointer ``void *`` ``000000019EF60100``
``$F`` function ``void *(*)()`` ``0001D69E01000000`` (see `.f`_)
``$S`` string ``char *`` ``hello``
``$C`` character ``char`` ``x``
``$W`` word ``ULongest`` ``0000000000109AE0``
``$U`` decimal ``ULongest`` ``42``
``$B`` binary ``ULongest`` ``00000000000000001011011110010001``
``$$`` dollar -- ``$``
======= =========== ================== ======================================
Note that ``WriteFC`` is an ``int``, because that is the default
promotion of a ``char`` (see `.types`_).
_`.snazzy`: We should resist the temptation to make ``WriteF()`` an
incredible snazzy output engine. We only need it for ``Describe()``
methods and assertion messages. At the moment it's a very simple bit
of code -- let's keep it that way.
_`.f`: The ``F`` code is used for function pointers. ISO C forbids casting
function pointers to other types, so the bytes of their representation are
written sequentially, and may have a different endianness to other pointers.
Could be smarter, or even look up function names, but see `.snazzy`_.
Document History
----------------
- 1996-10-18 RB_ Incomplete design.
- 2002-06-07 RB_ Converted from MMInfo database design document.
- 2013-05-22 GDR_ Converted to reStructuredText.
.. _RB: http://www.ravenbrook.com/consultants/rb/
.. _GDR: http://www.ravenbrook.com/consultants/gdr/
Copyright and License
---------------------
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<http://www.ravenbrook.com/>. This is an open source license. Contact
Ravenbrook for commercial licensing options.
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modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are
met:
#. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
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notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
#. Redistributions in any form must be accompanied by information on how
to obtain complete source code for this software and any
accompanying software that uses this software. The source code must
either be included in the distribution or be available for no more than
the cost of distribution plus a nominal fee, and must be freely
redistributable under reasonable conditions. For an executable file,
complete source code means the source code for all modules it contains.
It does not include source code for modules or files that typically
accompany the major components of the operating system on which the
executable file runs.
**This software is provided by the copyright holders and contributors
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