ffi 1.9.21-x86-mingw32 → 1.9.22-x86-mingw32

data/ext/ffi_c/libffi/doc/libffi.texi

@@ -1,985 +0,0 @@
-\input texinfo   @c -*-texinfo-*-
-@c %**start of header
-@setfilename libffi.info
-@settitle libffi
-@setchapternewpage off
-@c %**end of header
-
-@c Merge the standard indexes into a single one.
-@syncodeindex fn cp
-@syncodeindex vr cp
-@syncodeindex ky cp
-@syncodeindex pg cp
-@syncodeindex tp cp
-
-@include version.texi
-
-@copying
-
-This manual is for Libffi, a portable foreign-function interface
-library.
-
-Copyright @copyright{} 2008, 2010, 2011 Red Hat, Inc.
-
-@quotation
-Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
-under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the
-Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option) any
-later version.  A copy of the license is included in the
-section entitled ``GNU General Public License''.
-
-@end quotation
-@end copying
-
-@dircategory Development
-@direntry
-* libffi: (libffi).             Portable foreign-function interface library.
-@end direntry
-
-@titlepage
-@title Libffi
-@page
-@vskip 0pt plus 1filll
-@insertcopying
-@end titlepage
-
-
-@ifnottex
-@node Top
-@top libffi
-
-@insertcopying
-
-@menu
-* Introduction::                What is libffi?
-* Using libffi::                How to use libffi.
-* Missing Features::            Things libffi can't do.
-* Index::                       Index.
-@end menu
-
-@end ifnottex
-
-
-@node Introduction
-@chapter What is libffi?
-
-Compilers for high level languages generate code that follow certain
-conventions.  These conventions are necessary, in part, for separate
-compilation to work.  One such convention is the @dfn{calling
-convention}.  The calling convention is a set of assumptions made by
-the compiler about where function arguments will be found on entry to
-a function.  A calling convention also specifies where the return
-value for a function is found.  The calling convention is also
-sometimes called the @dfn{ABI} or @dfn{Application Binary Interface}.
-@cindex calling convention
-@cindex ABI
-@cindex Application Binary Interface
-
-Some programs may not know at the time of compilation what arguments
-are to be passed to a function.  For instance, an interpreter may be
-told at run-time about the number and types of arguments used to call
-a given function.  @samp{Libffi} can be used in such programs to
-provide a bridge from the interpreter program to compiled code.
-
-The @samp{libffi} library provides a portable, high level programming
-interface to various calling conventions.  This allows a programmer to
-call any function specified by a call interface description at run
-time.
-
-@acronym{FFI} stands for Foreign Function Interface.  A foreign
-function interface is the popular name for the interface that allows
-code written in one language to call code written in another language.
-The @samp{libffi} library really only provides the lowest, machine
-dependent layer of a fully featured foreign function interface.  A
-layer must exist above @samp{libffi} that handles type conversions for
-values passed between the two languages.
-@cindex FFI
-@cindex Foreign Function Interface
-
-
-@node Using libffi
-@chapter Using libffi
-
-@menu
-* The Basics::                  The basic libffi API.
-* Simple Example::              A simple example.
-* Types::                       libffi type descriptions.
-* Multiple ABIs::               Different passing styles on one platform.
-* The Closure API::             Writing a generic function.
-* Closure Example::             A closure example.
-* Thread Safety::               Thread safety.
-@end menu
-
-
-@node The Basics
-@section The Basics
-
-@samp{Libffi} assumes that you have a pointer to the function you wish
-to call and that you know the number and types of arguments to pass
-it, as well as the return type of the function.
-
-The first thing you must do is create an @code{ffi_cif} object that
-matches the signature of the function you wish to call.  This is a
-separate step because it is common to make multiple calls using a
-single @code{ffi_cif}.  The @dfn{cif} in @code{ffi_cif} stands for
-Call InterFace.  To prepare a call interface object, use the function
-@code{ffi_prep_cif}.
-@cindex cif
-
-@findex ffi_prep_cif
-@defun ffi_status ffi_prep_cif (ffi_cif *@var{cif}, ffi_abi @var{abi}, unsigned int @var{nargs}, ffi_type *@var{rtype}, ffi_type **@var{argtypes})
-This initializes @var{cif} according to the given parameters.
-
-@var{abi} is the ABI to use; normally @code{FFI_DEFAULT_ABI} is what
-you want.  @ref{Multiple ABIs} for more information.
-
-@var{nargs} is the number of arguments that this function accepts.
-
-@var{rtype} is a pointer to an @code{ffi_type} structure that
-describes the return type of the function.  @xref{Types}.
-
-@var{argtypes} is a vector of @code{ffi_type} pointers.
-@var{argtypes} must have @var{nargs} elements.  If @var{nargs} is 0,
-this argument is ignored.
-
-@code{ffi_prep_cif} returns a @code{libffi} status code, of type
-@code{ffi_status}.  This will be either @code{FFI_OK} if everything
-worked properly; @code{FFI_BAD_TYPEDEF} if one of the @code{ffi_type}
-objects is incorrect; or @code{FFI_BAD_ABI} if the @var{abi} parameter
-is invalid.
-@end defun
-
-If the function being called is variadic (varargs) then
-@code{ffi_prep_cif_var} must be used instead of @code{ffi_prep_cif}.
-
-@findex ffi_prep_cif_var
-@defun ffi_status ffi_prep_cif_var (ffi_cif *@var{cif}, ffi_abi @var{abi}, unsigned int @var{nfixedargs}, unsigned int @var{ntotalargs}, ffi_type *@var{rtype}, ffi_type **@var{argtypes})
-This initializes @var{cif} according to the given parameters for
-a call to a variadic function.  In general its operation is the
-same as for @code{ffi_prep_cif} except that:
-
-@var{nfixedargs} is the number of fixed arguments, prior to any
-variadic arguments.  It must be greater than zero.
-
-@var{ntotalargs} the total number of arguments, including variadic
-and fixed arguments.  @var{argtypes} must have this many elements.
-
-Note that, different cif's must be prepped for calls to the same
-function when different numbers of arguments are passed.
-
-Also note that a call to @code{ffi_prep_cif_var} with
-@var{nfixedargs}=@var{nototalargs} is NOT equivalent to a call to
-@code{ffi_prep_cif}.
-
-@end defun
-
-Note that the resulting @code{ffi_cif} holds pointers to all the
-@code{ffi_type} objects that were used during initialization.  You
-must ensure that these type objects have a lifetime at least as long
-as that of the @code{ffi_cif}.
-
-To call a function using an initialized @code{ffi_cif}, use the
-@code{ffi_call} function:
-
-@findex ffi_call
-@defun void ffi_call (ffi_cif *@var{cif}, void *@var{fn}, void *@var{rvalue}, void **@var{avalues})
-This calls the function @var{fn} according to the description given in
-@var{cif}.  @var{cif} must have already been prepared using
-@code{ffi_prep_cif}.
-
-@var{rvalue} is a pointer to a chunk of memory that will hold the
-result of the function call.  This must be large enough to hold the
-result, no smaller than the system register size (generally 32 or 64
-bits), and must be suitably aligned; it is the caller's responsibility
-to ensure this.  If @var{cif} declares that the function returns
-@code{void} (using @code{ffi_type_void}), then @var{rvalue} is
-ignored.
-
-In most situations, @samp{libffi} will handle promotion according to
-the ABI.  However, for historical reasons, there is a special case
-with return values that must be handled by your code.  In particular,
-for integral (not @code{struct}) types that are narrower than the
-system register size, the return value will be widened by
-@samp{libffi}.  @samp{libffi} provides a type, @code{ffi_arg}, that
-can be used as the return type.  For example, if the CIF was defined
-with a return type of @code{char}, @samp{libffi} will try to store a
-full @code{ffi_arg} into the return value.
-
-@var{avalues} is a vector of @code{void *} pointers that point to the
-memory locations holding the argument values for a call.  If @var{cif}
-declares that the function has no arguments (i.e., @var{nargs} was 0),
-then @var{avalues} is ignored.  Note that argument values may be
-modified by the callee (for instance, structs passed by value); the
-burden of copying pass-by-value arguments is placed on the caller.
-
-Note that while the return value must be register-sized, arguments
-should exactly match their declared type.  For example, if an argument
-is a @code{short}, then the entry in @var{avalues} should point to an
-object declared as @code{short}; but if the return type is
-@code{short}, then @var{rvalue} should point to an object declared as
-a larger type -- usually @code{ffi_arg}.
-@end defun
-
-
-@node Simple Example
-@section Simple Example
-
-Here is a trivial example that calls @code{puts} a few times.
-
-@example
-#include <stdio.h>
-#include <ffi.h>
-
-int main()
-@{
-  ffi_cif cif;
-  ffi_type *args[1];
-  void *values[1];
-  char *s;
-  ffi_arg rc;
-  
-  /* Initialize the argument info vectors */    
-  args[0] = &ffi_type_pointer;
-  values[0] = &s;
-  
-  /* Initialize the cif */
-  if (ffi_prep_cif(&cif, FFI_DEFAULT_ABI, 1, 
-		       &ffi_type_sint, args) == FFI_OK)
-    @{
-      s = "Hello World!";
-      ffi_call(&cif, puts, &rc, values);
-      /* rc now holds the result of the call to puts */
-      
-      /* values holds a pointer to the function's arg, so to 
-         call puts() again all we need to do is change the 
-         value of s */
-      s = "This is cool!";
-      ffi_call(&cif, puts, &rc, values);
-    @}
-  
-  return 0;
-@}
-@end example
-
-
-@node Types
-@section Types
-
-@menu
-* Primitive Types::             Built-in types.
-* Structures::                  Structure types.
-* Size and Alignment::          Size and alignment of types.
-* Arrays Unions Enums::         Arrays, unions, and enumerations.
-* Type Example::                Structure type example.
-* Complex::                     Complex types.
-* Complex Type Example::        Complex type example.
-@end menu
-
-@node Primitive Types
-@subsection Primitive Types
-
-@code{Libffi} provides a number of built-in type descriptors that can
-be used to describe argument and return types:
-
-@table @code
-@item ffi_type_void
-@tindex ffi_type_void
-The type @code{void}.  This cannot be used for argument types, only
-for return values.
-
-@item ffi_type_uint8
-@tindex ffi_type_uint8
-An unsigned, 8-bit integer type.
-
-@item ffi_type_sint8
-@tindex ffi_type_sint8
-A signed, 8-bit integer type.
-
-@item ffi_type_uint16
-@tindex ffi_type_uint16
-An unsigned, 16-bit integer type.
-
-@item ffi_type_sint16
-@tindex ffi_type_sint16
-A signed, 16-bit integer type.
-
-@item ffi_type_uint32
-@tindex ffi_type_uint32
-An unsigned, 32-bit integer type.
-
-@item ffi_type_sint32
-@tindex ffi_type_sint32
-A signed, 32-bit integer type.
-
-@item ffi_type_uint64
-@tindex ffi_type_uint64
-An unsigned, 64-bit integer type.
-
-@item ffi_type_sint64
-@tindex ffi_type_sint64
-A signed, 64-bit integer type.
-
-@item ffi_type_float
-@tindex ffi_type_float
-The C @code{float} type.
-
-@item ffi_type_double
-@tindex ffi_type_double
-The C @code{double} type.
-
-@item ffi_type_uchar
-@tindex ffi_type_uchar
-The C @code{unsigned char} type.
-
-@item ffi_type_schar
-@tindex ffi_type_schar
-The C @code{signed char} type.  (Note that there is not an exact
-equivalent to the C @code{char} type in @code{libffi}; ordinarily you
-should either use @code{ffi_type_schar} or @code{ffi_type_uchar}
-depending on whether @code{char} is signed.)
-
-@item ffi_type_ushort
-@tindex ffi_type_ushort
-The C @code{unsigned short} type.
-
-@item ffi_type_sshort
-@tindex ffi_type_sshort
-The C @code{short} type.
-
-@item ffi_type_uint
-@tindex ffi_type_uint
-The C @code{unsigned int} type.
-
-@item ffi_type_sint
-@tindex ffi_type_sint
-The C @code{int} type.
-
-@item ffi_type_ulong
-@tindex ffi_type_ulong
-The C @code{unsigned long} type.
-
-@item ffi_type_slong
-@tindex ffi_type_slong
-The C @code{long} type.
-
-@item ffi_type_longdouble
-@tindex ffi_type_longdouble
-On platforms that have a C @code{long double} type, this is defined.
-On other platforms, it is not.
-
-@item ffi_type_pointer
-@tindex ffi_type_pointer
-A generic @code{void *} pointer.  You should use this for all
-pointers, regardless of their real type.
-
-@item ffi_type_complex_float
-@tindex ffi_type_complex_float
-The C @code{_Complex float} type.
-
-@item ffi_type_complex_double
-@tindex ffi_type_complex_double
-The C @code{_Complex double} type.
-
-@item ffi_type_complex_longdouble
-@tindex ffi_type_complex_longdouble
-The C @code{_Complex long double} type.
-On platforms that have a C @code{long double} type, this is defined.
-On other platforms, it is not.
-@end table
-
-Each of these is of type @code{ffi_type}, so you must take the address
-when passing to @code{ffi_prep_cif}.
-
-
-@node Structures
-@subsection Structures
-
-@samp{libffi} is perfectly happy passing structures back and forth.
-You must first describe the structure to @samp{libffi} by creating a
-new @code{ffi_type} object for it.
-
-@tindex ffi_type
-@deftp {Data type} ffi_type
-The @code{ffi_type} has the following members:
-@table @code
-@item size_t size
-This is set by @code{libffi}; you should initialize it to zero.
-
-@item unsigned short alignment
-This is set by @code{libffi}; you should initialize it to zero.
-
-@item unsigned short type
-For a structure, this should be set to @code{FFI_TYPE_STRUCT}.
-
-@item ffi_type **elements
-This is a @samp{NULL}-terminated array of pointers to @code{ffi_type}
-objects.  There is one element per field of the struct.
-
-Note that @samp{libffi} has no special support for bit-fields.  You
-must manage these manually.
-@end table
-@end deftp
-
-The @code{size} and @code{alignment} fields will be filled in by
-@code{ffi_prep_cif} or @code{ffi_prep_cif_var}, as needed.
-
-@node Size and Alignment
-@subsection Size and Alignment
-
-@code{libffi} will set the @code{size} and @code{alignment} fields of
-an @code{ffi_type} object for you.  It does so using its knowledge of
-the ABI.
-
-You might expect that you can simply read these fields for a type that
-has been laid out by @code{libffi}.  However, there are some caveats.
-
-@itemize @bullet
-@item
-The size or alignment of some of the built-in types may vary depending
-on the chosen ABI.
-
-@item
-The size and alignment of a new structure type will not be set by
-@code{libffi} until it has been passed to @code{ffi_prep_cif} or
-@code{ffi_get_struct_offsets}.
-
-@item
-A structure type cannot be shared across ABIs.  Instead each ABI needs
-its own copy of the structure type.
-@end itemize
-
-So, before examining these fields, it is safest to pass the
-@code{ffi_type} object to @code{ffi_prep_cif} or
-@code{ffi_get_struct_offsets} first.  This function will do all the
-needed setup.
-
-@example
-ffi_type *desired_type;
-ffi_abi desired_abi;
-@dots{}
-ffi_cif cif;
-if (ffi_prep_cif (&cif, desired_abi, 0, desired_type, NULL) == FFI_OK)
-  @{
-    size_t size = desired_type->size;
-    unsigned short alignment = desired_type->alignment;
-  @}
-@end example
-
-@code{libffi} also provides a way to get the offsets of the members of
-a structure.
-
-@findex ffi_get_struct_offsets
-@defun ffi_status ffi_get_struct_offsets (ffi_abi abi, ffi_type *struct_type, size_t *offsets)
-Compute the offset of each element of the given structure type.
-@var{abi} is the ABI to use; this is needed because in some cases the
-layout depends on the ABI.
-
-@var{offsets} is an out parameter.  The caller is responsible for
-providing enough space for all the results to be written -- one
-element per element type in @var{struct_type}.  If @var{offsets} is
-@code{NULL}, then the type will be laid out but not otherwise
-modified.  This can be useful for accessing the type's size or layout,
-as mentioned above.
-
-This function returns @code{FFI_OK} on success; @code{FFI_BAD_ABI} if
-@var{abi} is invalid; or @code{FFI_BAD_TYPEDEF} if @var{struct_type}
-is invalid in some way.  Note that only @code{FFI_STRUCT} types are
-valid here.
-@end defun
-
-@node Arrays Unions Enums
-@subsection Arrays, Unions, and Enumerations
-
-@subsubsection Arrays
-
-@samp{libffi} does not have direct support for arrays or unions.
-However, they can be emulated using structures.
-
-To emulate an array, simply create an @code{ffi_type} using
-@code{FFI_TYPE_STRUCT} with as many members as there are elements in
-the array.
-
-@example
-ffi_type array_type;
-ffi_type **elements
-int i;
-
-elements = malloc ((n + 1) * sizeof (ffi_type *));
-for (i = 0; i < n; ++i)
-  elements[i] = array_element_type;
-elements[n] = NULL;
-
-array_type.size = array_type.alignment = 0;
-array_type.type = FFI_TYPE_STRUCT;
-array_type.elements = elements;
-@end example
-
-Note that arrays cannot be passed or returned by value in C --
-structure types created like this should only be used to refer to
-members of real @code{FFI_TYPE_STRUCT} objects.
-
-However, a phony array type like this will not cause any errors from
-@samp{libffi} if you use it as an argument or return type.  This may
-be confusing.
-
-@subsubsection Unions
-
-A union can also be emulated using @code{FFI_TYPE_STRUCT}.  In this
-case, however, you must make sure that the size and alignment match
-the real requirements of the union.
-
-One simple way to do this is to ensue that each element type is laid
-out.  Then, give the new structure type a single element; the size of
-the largest element; and the largest alignment seen as well.
-
-This example uses the @code{ffi_prep_cif} trick to ensure that each
-element type is laid out.
-
-@example
-ffi_abi desired_abi;
-ffi_type union_type;
-ffi_type **union_elements;
-
-int i;
-ffi_type element_types[2];
-
-element_types[1] = NULL;
-
-union_type.size = union_type.alignment = 0;
-union_type.type = FFI_TYPE_STRUCT;
-union_type.elements = element_types;
-
-for (i = 0; union_elements[i]; ++i)
-  @{
-    ffi_cif cif;
-    if (ffi_prep_cif (&cif, desired_abi, 0, union_elements[i], NULL) == FFI_OK)
-      @{
-        if (union_elements[i]->size > union_type.size)
-          @{
-            union_type.size = union_elements[i];
-            size = union_elements[i]->size;
-          @}
-        if (union_elements[i]->alignment > union_type.alignment)
-          union_type.alignment = union_elements[i]->alignment;
-      @}
-  @}
-@end example
-
-@subsubsection Enumerations
-
-@code{libffi} does not have any special support for C @code{enum}s.
-Although any given @code{enum} is implemented using a specific
-underlying integral type, exactly which type will be used cannot be
-determined by @code{libffi} -- it may depend on the values in the
-enumeration or on compiler flags such as @option{-fshort-enums}.
-@xref{Structures unions enumerations and bit-fields implementation, , , gcc},
-for more information about how GCC handles enumerations.
-
-@node Type Example
-@subsection Type Example
-
-The following example initializes a @code{ffi_type} object
-representing the @code{tm} struct from Linux's @file{time.h}.
-
-Here is how the struct is defined:
-
-@example
-struct tm @{
-    int tm_sec;
-    int tm_min;
-    int tm_hour;
-    int tm_mday;
-    int tm_mon;
-    int tm_year;
-    int tm_wday;
-    int tm_yday;
-    int tm_isdst;
-    /* Those are for future use. */
-    long int __tm_gmtoff__;
-    __const char *__tm_zone__;
-@};
-@end example
-
-Here is the corresponding code to describe this struct to
-@code{libffi}:
-
-@example
-    @{
-      ffi_type tm_type;
-      ffi_type *tm_type_elements[12];
-      int i;
-
-      tm_type.size = tm_type.alignment = 0;
-      tm_type.type = FFI_TYPE_STRUCT;
-      tm_type.elements = &tm_type_elements;
-    
-      for (i = 0; i < 9; i++)
-          tm_type_elements[i] = &ffi_type_sint;
-
-      tm_type_elements[9] = &ffi_type_slong;
-      tm_type_elements[10] = &ffi_type_pointer;
-      tm_type_elements[11] = NULL;
-
-      /* tm_type can now be used to represent tm argument types and
-	 return types for ffi_prep_cif() */
-    @}
-@end example
-
-@node Complex
-@subsection Complex Types
-
-@samp{libffi} supports the complex types defined by the C99
-standard (@code{_Complex float}, @code{_Complex double} and
-@code{_Complex long double} with the built-in type descriptors
-@code{ffi_type_complex_float}, @code{ffi_type_complex_double} and
-@code{ffi_type_complex_longdouble}.
-
-Custom complex types like @code{_Complex int} can also be used.
-An @code{ffi_type} object has to be defined to describe the
-complex type to @samp{libffi}.
-
-@tindex ffi_type
-@deftp {Data type} ffi_type
-@table @code
-@item size_t size
-This must be manually set to the size of the complex type.
-
-@item unsigned short alignment
-This must be manually set to the alignment of the complex type.
-
-@item unsigned short type
-For a complex type, this must be set to @code{FFI_TYPE_COMPLEX}.
-
-@item ffi_type **elements
-
-This is a @samp{NULL}-terminated array of pointers to
-@code{ffi_type} objects.  The first element is set to the
-@code{ffi_type} of the complex's base type.  The second element
-must be set to @code{NULL}.
-@end table
-@end deftp
-
-The section @ref{Complex Type Example} shows a way to determine
-the @code{size} and @code{alignment} members in a platform
-independent way.
-
-For platforms that have no complex support in @code{libffi} yet,
-the functions @code{ffi_prep_cif} and @code{ffi_prep_args} abort
-the program if they encounter a complex type.
-
-@node Complex Type Example
-@subsection Complex Type Example
-
-This example demonstrates how to use complex types:
-
-@example
-#include <stdio.h>
-#include <ffi.h>
-#include <complex.h>
-
-void complex_fn(_Complex float cf,
-                _Complex double cd,
-                _Complex long double cld)
-@{
-  printf("cf=%f+%fi\ncd=%f+%fi\ncld=%f+%fi\n",
-         (float)creal (cf), (float)cimag (cf),
-         (float)creal (cd), (float)cimag (cd),
-         (float)creal (cld), (float)cimag (cld));
-@}
-
-int main()
-@{
-  ffi_cif cif;
-  ffi_type *args[3];
-  void *values[3];
-  _Complex float cf;
-  _Complex double cd;
-  _Complex long double cld;
-
-  /* Initialize the argument info vectors */
-  args[0] = &ffi_type_complex_float;
-  args[1] = &ffi_type_complex_double;
-  args[2] = &ffi_type_complex_longdouble;
-  values[0] = &cf;
-  values[1] = &cd;
-  values[2] = &cld;
-
-  /* Initialize the cif */
-  if (ffi_prep_cif(&cif, FFI_DEFAULT_ABI, 3,
-                   &ffi_type_void, args) == FFI_OK)
-    @{
-      cf = 1.0 + 20.0 * I;
-      cd = 300.0 + 4000.0 * I;
-      cld = 50000.0 + 600000.0 * I;
-      /* Call the function */
-      ffi_call(&cif, (void (*)(void))complex_fn, 0, values);
-    @}
-
-  return 0;
-@}
-@end example
-
-This is an example for defining a custom complex type descriptor
-for compilers that support them:
-
-@example
-/*
- * This macro can be used to define new complex type descriptors
- * in a platform independent way.
- *
- * name: Name of the new descriptor is ffi_type_complex_<name>.
- * type: The C base type of the complex type.
- */
-#define FFI_COMPLEX_TYPEDEF(name, type, ffitype)             \
-  static ffi_type *ffi_elements_complex_##name [2] = @{      \
-    (ffi_type *)(&ffitype), NULL                             \
-  @};                                                        \
-  struct struct_align_complex_##name @{                      \
-    char c;                                                  \
-    _Complex type x;                                         \
-  @};                                                        \
-  ffi_type ffi_type_complex_##name = @{                      \
-    sizeof(_Complex type),                                   \
-    offsetof(struct struct_align_complex_##name, x),         \
-    FFI_TYPE_COMPLEX,                                        \
-    (ffi_type **)ffi_elements_complex_##name                 \
-  @}
-
-/* Define new complex type descriptors using the macro: */
-/* ffi_type_complex_sint */
-FFI_COMPLEX_TYPEDEF(sint, int, ffi_type_sint);
-/* ffi_type_complex_uchar */
-FFI_COMPLEX_TYPEDEF(uchar, unsigned char, ffi_type_uint8);
-@end example
-
-The new type descriptors can then be used like one of the built-in
-type descriptors in the previous example.
-
-@node Multiple ABIs
-@section Multiple ABIs
-
-A given platform may provide multiple different ABIs at once.  For
-instance, the x86 platform has both @samp{stdcall} and @samp{fastcall}
-functions.
-
-@code{libffi} provides some support for this.  However, this is
-necessarily platform-specific.
-
-@c FIXME: document the platforms
-
-@node The Closure API
-@section The Closure API
-
-@code{libffi} also provides a way to write a generic function -- a
-function that can accept and decode any combination of arguments.
-This can be useful when writing an interpreter, or to provide wrappers
-for arbitrary functions.
-
-This facility is called the @dfn{closure API}.  Closures are not
-supported on all platforms; you can check the @code{FFI_CLOSURES}
-define to determine whether they are supported on the current
-platform.
-@cindex closures
-@cindex closure API
-@findex FFI_CLOSURES
-
-Because closures work by assembling a tiny function at runtime, they
-require special allocation on platforms that have a non-executable
-heap.  Memory management for closures is handled by a pair of
-functions:
-
-@findex ffi_closure_alloc
-@defun void *ffi_closure_alloc (size_t @var{size}, void **@var{code})
-Allocate a chunk of memory holding @var{size} bytes.  This returns a
-pointer to the writable address, and sets *@var{code} to the
-corresponding executable address.
-
-@var{size} should be sufficient to hold a @code{ffi_closure} object.
-@end defun
-
-@findex ffi_closure_free
-@defun void ffi_closure_free (void *@var{writable})
-Free memory allocated using @code{ffi_closure_alloc}.  The argument is
-the writable address that was returned.
-@end defun
-
-
-Once you have allocated the memory for a closure, you must construct a
-@code{ffi_cif} describing the function call.  Finally you can prepare
-the closure function:
-
-@findex ffi_prep_closure_loc
-@defun ffi_status ffi_prep_closure_loc (ffi_closure *@var{closure}, ffi_cif *@var{cif}, void (*@var{fun}) (ffi_cif *@var{cif}, void *@var{ret}, void **@var{args}, void *@var{user_data}), void *@var{user_data}, void *@var{codeloc})
-Prepare a closure function.  The arguments to
-@code{ffi_prep_closure_loc} are:
-
-@table @var
-@item closure
-The address of a @code{ffi_closure} object; this is the writable
-address returned by @code{ffi_closure_alloc}.
-
-@item cif
-The @code{ffi_cif} describing the function parameters.  Note that this
-object, and the types to which it refers, must be kept alive until the
-closure itself is freed.
-
-@item user_data
-An arbitrary datum that is passed, uninterpreted, to your closure
-function.
-
-@item codeloc
-The executable address returned by @code{ffi_closure_alloc}.
-
-@item fun
-The function which will be called when the closure is invoked.  It is
-called with the arguments:
-
-@table @var
-@item cif
-The @code{ffi_cif} passed to @code{ffi_prep_closure_loc}.
-
-@item ret
-A pointer to the memory used for the function's return value.
-
-If the function is declared as returning @code{void}, then this value
-is garbage and should not be used.
-
-Otherwise, @var{fun} must fill the object to which this points,
-following the same special promotion behavior as @code{ffi_call}.
-That is, in most cases, @var{ret} points to an object of exactly the
-size of the type specified when @var{cif} was constructed.  However,
-integral types narrower than the system register size are widened.  In
-these cases your program may assume that @var{ret} points to an
-@code{ffi_arg} object.
-
-@item args
-A vector of pointers to memory holding the arguments to the function.
-
-@item user_data
-The same @var{user_data} that was passed to
-@code{ffi_prep_closure_loc}.
-@end table
-@end table
-
-@code{ffi_prep_closure_loc} will return @code{FFI_OK} if everything
-went ok, and one of the other @code{ffi_status} values on error.
-
-After calling @code{ffi_prep_closure_loc}, you can cast @var{codeloc}
-to the appropriate pointer-to-function type.
-@end defun
-
-You may see old code referring to @code{ffi_prep_closure}.  This
-function is deprecated, as it cannot handle the need for separate
-writable and executable addresses.
-
-@node Closure Example
-@section Closure Example
-
-A trivial example that creates a new @code{puts} by binding 
-@code{fputs} with @code{stdout}.
-
-@example
-#include <stdio.h>
-#include <ffi.h>
-
-/* Acts like puts with the file given at time of enclosure. */
-void puts_binding(ffi_cif *cif, void *ret, void* args[],
-                  void *stream)
-@{
-  *(ffi_arg *)ret = fputs(*(char **)args[0], (FILE *)stream);
-@}
-
-typedef int (*puts_t)(char *);
-
-int main()
-@{
-  ffi_cif cif;
-  ffi_type *args[1];
-  ffi_closure *closure;
-
-  void *bound_puts;
-  int rc;
-
-  /* Allocate closure and bound_puts */
-  closure = ffi_closure_alloc(sizeof(ffi_closure), &bound_puts);
-
-  if (closure)
-    @{
-      /* Initialize the argument info vectors */
-      args[0] = &ffi_type_pointer;
-
-      /* Initialize the cif */
-      if (ffi_prep_cif(&cif, FFI_DEFAULT_ABI, 1,
-                       &ffi_type_sint, args) == FFI_OK)
-        @{
-          /* Initialize the closure, setting stream to stdout */
-          if (ffi_prep_closure_loc(closure, &cif, puts_binding,
-                                   stdout, bound_puts) == FFI_OK)
-            @{
-              rc = ((puts_t)bound_puts)("Hello World!");
-              /* rc now holds the result of the call to fputs */
-            @}
-        @}
-    @}
-
-  /* Deallocate both closure, and bound_puts */
-  ffi_closure_free(closure);
-
-  return 0;
-@}
-
-@end example
-
-@node Thread Safety
-@section Thread Safety
-
-@code{libffi} is not completely thread-safe.  However, many parts are,
-and if you follow some simple rules, you can use it safely in a
-multi-threaded program.
-
-@itemize @bullet
-@item
-@code{ffi_prep_cif} may modify the @code{ffi_type} objects passed to
-it.  It is best to ensure that only a single thread prepares a given
-@code{ffi_cif} at a time.
-
-@item
-On some platforms, @code{ffi_prep_cif} may modify the size and
-alignment of some types, depending on the chosen ABI.  On these
-platforms, if you switch between ABIs, you must ensure that there is
-only one call to @code{ffi_prep_cif} at a time.
-
-Currently the only affected platform is PowerPC and the only affected
-type is @code{long double}.
-@end itemize
-
-@node Missing Features
-@chapter Missing Features
-
-@code{libffi} is missing a few features.  We welcome patches to add
-support for these.
-
-@itemize @bullet
-@item
-Variadic closures.
-
-@item
-There is no support for bit fields in structures.
-
-@item
-The ``raw'' API is undocumented.
-@c anything else?
-
-@item
-The Go API is undocumented.
-@end itemize
-
-Note that variadic support is very new and tested on a relatively
-small number of platforms.
-
-@node Index
-@unnumbered Index
-
-@printindex cp
-
-@bye