perlxs - XS language reference manual
An XSUB forms the basic unit of the XS interface. After compilation by the xsubpp compiler, each XSUB amounts to a C function definition which will provide the glue between Perl calling conventions and C calling conventions.
The glue code pulls the arguments from the Perl stack, converts these Perl values to the formats expected by a C function, call this C function, transfers the return values of the C function back to Perl. Return values here may be a conventional C return value or any C function arguments that may serve as output parameters. These return values may be passed back to Perl either by putting them on the Perl stack, or by modifying the arguments supplied from the Perl side.
The above is a somewhat simplified view of what really happens. Since Perl allows more flexible calling conventions than C, XSUBs may do much more in practice, such as checking input parameters for validity, throwing exceptions (or returning undef/empty list) if the return value from the C function indicates failure, calling different C functions based on numbers and types of the arguments, providing an object-oriented interface, etc.
Of course, one could write such glue code directly in C. However, this would be a tedious task, especially if one needs to write glue for multiple C functions, and/or one is not familiar enough with the Perl stack discipline and other such arcana. XS comes to the rescue here: instead of writing this glue C code in long-hand, one can write a more concise short-hand description of what should be done by the glue, and let the XS compiler xsubpp handle the rest.
The XS language allows one to describe the mapping between how the C routine is used, and how the corresponding Perl routine is used. It also allows creation of Perl routines which are directly translated to C code and which are not related to a pre-existing C function. In cases when the C interface coincides with the Perl interface, the XSUB declaration is almost identical to a declaration of a C function (in K&R style). In such circumstances, there is another tool called "h2xs" that is able to translate an entire C header file into a corresponding XS file that will provide glue to the functions/macros described in the header file.
The XS compiler is called xsubpp. This compiler creates the constructs necessary to let an XSUB manipulate Perl values, and creates the glue necessary to let Perl call the XSUB. The compiler uses typemaps to determine how to map C function parameters and output values to Perl values and back. The default typemap (which comes with Perl) handles many common C types. A supplementary typemap may also be needed to handle any special structures and types for the library being linked.
A file in XS format starts with a C language section which goes until the first "MODULE =" directive. Other XS directives and XSUB definitions may follow this line. The ``language'' used in this part of the file is usually referred to as the XS language. xsubpp recognizes and skips POD (see perlpod) in both the C and XS language sections, which allows the XS file to contain embedded documentation.
See perlxstut for a tutorial on the whole extension creation process.
Note: For some extensions, Dave Beazley's SWIG system may provide a significantly more convenient mechanism for creating the extension glue code. See http://www.swig.org/ for more information.
bool_t rpcb_gettime(const char *host, time_t *timep);
From C this function will be called with the following statements.
#include <rpc/rpc.h> bool_t status; time_t timep; status = rpcb_gettime( "localhost", &timep );
If an XSUB is created to offer a direct translation between this function and Perl, then this XSUB will be used from Perl with the following code. The $status and $timep variables will contain the output of the function.
use RPC; $status = rpcb_gettime( "localhost", $timep );
The following XS file shows an XS subroutine, or XSUB, which demonstrates one possible interface to the rpcb_gettime() function. This XSUB represents a direct translation between C and Perl and so preserves the interface even from Perl. This XSUB will be invoked from Perl with the usage shown above. Note that the first three #include statements, for "EXTERN.h", "perl.h", and "XSUB.h", will always be present at the beginning of an XS file. This approach and others will be expanded later in this document.
#include "EXTERN.h" #include "perl.h" #include "XSUB.h" #include <rpc/rpc.h>
MODULE = RPC PACKAGE = RPC
bool_t rpcb_gettime(host,timep) char *host time_t &timep OUTPUT: timep
Any extension to Perl, including those containing XSUBs, should have a Perl module to serve as the bootstrap which pulls the extension into Perl. This module will export the extension's functions and variables to the Perl program and will cause the extension's XSUBs to be linked into Perl. The following module will be used for most of the examples in this document and should be used from Perl with the "use" command as shown earlier. Perl modules are explained in more detail later in this document.
package RPC;
require Exporter; require DynaLoader; @ISA = qw(Exporter DynaLoader); @EXPORT = qw( rpcb_gettime );
bootstrap RPC; 1;
Throughout this document a variety of interfaces to the rpcb_gettime() XSUB will be explored. The XSUBs will take their parameters in different orders or will take different numbers of parameters. In each case the XSUB is an abstraction between Perl and the real C rpcb_gettime() function, and the XSUB must always ensure that the real rpcb_gettime() function is called with the correct parameters. This abstraction will allow the programmer to create a more Perl-like interface to the C function.
The following XSUB allows a Perl program to access a C library function called sin(). The XSUB will imitate the C function which takes a single argument and returns a single value.
double sin(x) double x
Optionally, one can merge the description of types and the list of argument names, rewriting this as
double sin(double x)
This makes this XSUB look similar to an ANSI C declaration. An optional semicolon is allowed after the argument list, as in
double sin(double x);
Parameters with C pointer types can have different semantic: C functions with similar declarations
bool string_looks_as_a_number(char *s); bool make_char_uppercase(char *c);
are used in absolutely incompatible manner. Parameters to these functions could be described xsubpp like this:
char * s char &c
Both these XS declarations correspond to the "char*" C type, but they have different semantics, see ``The & Unary Operator''.
It is convenient to think that the indirection operator "*" should be considered as a part of the type and the address operator "&" should be considered part of the variable. See ``The Typemap'' for more info about handling qualifiers and unary operators in C types.
The function name and the return type must be placed on separate lines and should be flush left-adjusted.
INCORRECT CORRECT
double sin(x) double double x sin(x) double x
The rest of the function description may be indented or left-adjusted. The following example shows a function with its body left-adjusted. Most examples in this document will indent the body for better readability.
CORRECT
double sin(x) double x
More complicated XSUBs may contain many other sections. Each section of an XSUB starts with the corresponding keyword, such as INIT: or CLEANUP:. However, the first two lines of an XSUB always contain the same data: descriptions of the return type and the names of the function and its parameters. Whatever immediately follows these is considered to be an INPUT: section unless explicitly marked with another keyword. (See ``The INPUT: Keyword''.)
An XSUB section continues until another section-start keyword is found.
XSUBs refer to their stack arguments with the macro ST(x), where x refers to a position in this XSUB's part of the stack. Position 0 for that function would be known to the XSUB as ST(0). The XSUB's incoming parameters and outgoing return values always begin at ST(0). For many simple cases the xsubpp compiler will generate the code necessary to handle the argument stack by embedding code fragments found in the typemaps. In more complex cases the programmer must supply the code.
If the XSUB has a return type of "void" then the compiler will not declare a RETVAL variable for that function. When using a PPCODE: section no manipulation of the RETVAL variable is required, the section may use direct stack manipulation to place output values on the stack.
If PPCODE: directive is not used, "void" return value should be used only for subroutines which do not return a value, even if CODE: directive is used which sets ST(0) explicitly.
Older versions of this document recommended to use "void" return value in such cases. It was discovered that this could lead to segfaults in cases when XSUB was truly "void". This practice is now deprecated, and may be not supported at some future version. Use the return value "SV *" in such cases. (Currently "xsubpp" contains some heuristic code which tries to disambiguate between ``truly-void'' and ``old-practice-declared-as-void'' functions. Hence your code is at mercy of this heuristics unless you use "SV *" as return value.)
void alpha() PPCODE: ST(0) = newSVpv("Hello World",0); sv_2mortal(ST(0)); XSRETURN(1);
SV * beta() CODE: RETVAL = newSVpv("Hello World",0); OUTPUT: RETVAL
This is quite useful as it usually improves readability. While this works fine for an "SV *", it's unfortunately not as easy to have "AV *" or "HV *" as a return value. You should be able to write:
AV * array() CODE: RETVAL = newAV(); /* do something with RETVAL */ OUTPUT: RETVAL
But due to an unfixable bug (fixing it would break lots of existing CPAN modules) in the typemap file, the reference count of the "AV *" is not properly decremented. Thus, the above XSUB would leak memory whenever it is being called. The same problem exists for "HV *".
When you're returning an "AV *" or a "HV *", you have make sure their reference count is decremented by making the AV or HV mortal:
AV * array() CODE: RETVAL = newAV(); sv_2mortal((SV*)RETVAL); /* do something with RETVAL */ OUTPUT: RETVAL
And also remember that you don't have to do this for an "SV *".
The following example will start the XS code and will place all functions in a package named RPC.
MODULE = RPC
MODULE = RPC PACKAGE = RPC
[ XS code in package RPC ]
MODULE = RPC PACKAGE = RPCB
[ XS code in package RPCB ]
MODULE = RPC PACKAGE = RPC
[ XS code in package RPC ]
The same package name can be used more than once, allowing for non-contiguous code. This is useful if you have a stronger ordering principle than package names.
Although this keyword is optional and in some cases provides redundant information it should always be used. This keyword will ensure that the XSUBs appear in the desired package.
This keyword should follow the PACKAGE keyword when used. If PACKAGE is not used then PREFIX should follow the MODULE keyword.
MODULE = RPC PREFIX = rpc_
MODULE = RPC PACKAGE = RPCB PREFIX = rpcb_
This keyword will normally be used to complement the CODE: keyword. The RETVAL variable is not recognized as an output variable when the CODE: keyword is present. The OUTPUT: keyword is used in this situation to tell the compiler that RETVAL really is an output variable.
The OUTPUT: keyword can also be used to indicate that function parameters are output variables. This may be necessary when a parameter has been modified within the function and the programmer would like the update to be seen by Perl.
bool_t rpcb_gettime(host,timep) char *host time_t &timep OUTPUT: timep
The OUTPUT: keyword will also allow an output parameter to be mapped to a matching piece of code rather than to a typemap.
bool_t rpcb_gettime(host,timep) char *host time_t &timep OUTPUT: timep sv_setnv(ST(1), (double)timep);
xsubpp emits an automatic "SvSETMAGIC()" for all parameters in the OUTPUT section of the XSUB, except RETVAL. This is the usually desired behavior, as it takes care of properly invoking 'set' magic on output parameters (needed for hash or array element parameters that must be created if they didn't exist). If for some reason, this behavior is not desired, the OUTPUT section may contain a "SETMAGIC: DISABLE" line to disable it for the remainder of the parameters in the OUTPUT section. Likewise, "SETMAGIC: ENABLE" can be used to reenable it for the remainder of the OUTPUT section. See perlguts for more details about 'set' magic.
With this keyword present ``The RETVAL Variable'' is created, and in the generated call to the subroutine this variable is assigned to, but the value of this variable is not going to be used in the auto-generated code.
This keyword makes sense only if "RETVAL" is going to be accessed by the user-supplied code. It is especially useful to make a function interface more Perl-like, especially when the C return value is just an error condition indicator. For example,
NO_OUTPUT int delete_file(char *name) POSTCALL: if (RETVAL != 0) croak("Error %d while deleting file '%s'", RETVAL, name);
Here the generated XS function returns nothing on success, and will die() with a meaningful error message on error.
The following XSUB is for a C function which requires special handling of its parameters. The Perl usage is given first.
$status = rpcb_gettime( "localhost", $timep );
The XSUB follows.
bool_t rpcb_gettime(host,timep) char *host time_t timep CODE: RETVAL = rpcb_gettime( host, &timep ); OUTPUT: timep RETVAL
bool_t rpcb_gettime(host,timep) char *host time_t &timep INIT: printf("# Host is %s\n", host ); OUTPUT: timep
Another use for the INIT: section is to check for preconditions before making a call to the C function:
long long lldiv(a,b) long long a long long b INIT: if (a == 0 && b == 0) XSRETURN_UNDEF; if (b == 0) croak("lldiv: cannot divide by 0");
The following example shows a variation of the rpcb_gettime() function. This function uses the timep variable only as an output variable and does not care about its initial contents.
bool_t rpcb_gettime(host,timep) char *host time_t &timep = NO_INIT OUTPUT: timep
The following code demonstrates how to supply initialization code for function parameters. The initialization code is eval'd within double quotes by the compiler before it is added to the output so anything which should be interpreted literally [mainly "$", "@", or "\\"] must be protected with backslashes. The variables $var, $arg, and $type can be used as in typemaps.
bool_t rpcb_gettime(host,timep) char *host = (char *)SvPV($arg,PL_na); time_t &timep = 0; OUTPUT: timep
This should not be used to supply default values for parameters. One would normally use this when a function parameter must be processed by another library function before it can be used. Default parameters are covered in the next section.
If the initialization begins with "=", then it is output in the declaration for the input variable, replacing the initialization supplied by the typemap. If the initialization begins with ";" or "+", then it is performed after all of the input variables have been declared. In the ";" case the initialization normally supplied by the typemap is not performed. For the "+" case, the declaration for the variable will include the initialization from the typemap. A global variable, %v, is available for the truly rare case where information from one initialization is needed in another initialization.
Here's a truly obscure example:
bool_t rpcb_gettime(host,timep) time_t &timep; /* \$v{timep}=@{[$v{timep}=$arg]} */ char *host + SvOK($v{timep}) ? SvPV($arg,PL_na) : NULL; OUTPUT: timep
The construct "\$v{timep}=@{[$v{timep}=$arg]}" used in the above example has a two-fold purpose: first, when this line is processed by xsubpp, the Perl snippet "$v{timep}=$arg" is evaluated. Second, the text of the evaluated snippet is output into the generated C file (inside a C comment)! During the processing of "char *host" line, $arg will evaluate to ST(0), and $v{timep} will evaluate to ST(1).
To allow the XSUB for rpcb_gettime() to have a default host value the parameters to the XSUB could be rearranged. The XSUB will then call the real rpcb_gettime() function with the parameters in the correct order. This XSUB can be called from Perl with either of the following statements:
$status = rpcb_gettime( $timep, $host );
$status = rpcb_gettime( $timep );
The XSUB will look like the code which follows. A CODE: block is used to call the real rpcb_gettime() function with the parameters in the correct order for that function.
bool_t rpcb_gettime(timep,host="localhost") char *host time_t timep = NO_INIT CODE: RETVAL = rpcb_gettime( host, &timep ); OUTPUT: timep RETVAL
If a variable is declared inside a CODE: section it will follow any typemap code that is emitted for the input parameters. This may result in the declaration ending up after C code, which is C syntax error. Similar errors may happen with an explicit ";"-type or "+"-type initialization of parameters is used (see ``Initializing Function Parameters''). Declaring these variables in an INIT: section will not help.
In such cases, to force an additional variable to be declared together with declarations of other variables, place the declaration into a PREINIT: section. The PREINIT: keyword may be used one or more times within an XSUB.
The following examples are equivalent, but if the code is using complex typemaps then the first example is safer.
bool_t rpcb_gettime(timep) time_t timep = NO_INIT PREINIT: char *host = "localhost"; CODE: RETVAL = rpcb_gettime( host, &timep ); OUTPUT: timep RETVAL
For this particular case an INIT: keyword would generate the same C code as the PREINIT: keyword. Another correct, but error-prone example:
bool_t rpcb_gettime(timep) time_t timep = NO_INIT CODE: char *host = "localhost"; RETVAL = rpcb_gettime( host, &timep ); OUTPUT: timep RETVAL
Another way to declare "host" is to use a C block in the CODE: section:
bool_t rpcb_gettime(timep) time_t timep = NO_INIT CODE: { char *host = "localhost"; RETVAL = rpcb_gettime( host, &timep ); } OUTPUT: timep RETVAL
The ability to put additional declarations before the typemap entries are processed is very handy in the cases when typemap conversions manipulate some global state:
MyObject mutate(o) PREINIT: MyState st = global_state; INPUT: MyObject o; CLEANUP: reset_to(global_state, st);
Here we suppose that conversion to "MyObject" in the INPUT: section and from MyObject when processing RETVAL will modify a global variable "global_state". After these conversions are performed, we restore the old value of "global_state" (to avoid memory leaks, for example).
There is another way to trade clarity for compactness: INPUT sections allow declaration of C variables which do not appear in the parameter list of a subroutine. Thus the above code for mutate() can be rewritten as
MyObject mutate(o) MyState st = global_state; MyObject o; CLEANUP: reset_to(global_state, st);
and the code for rpcb_gettime() can be rewritten as
bool_t rpcb_gettime(timep) time_t timep = NO_INIT char *host = "localhost"; C_ARGS: host, &timep OUTPUT: timep RETVAL
To support potentially complex type mappings, if a typemap entry used by an XSUB contains a comment like "/*scope*/" then scoping will be automatically enabled for that XSUB.
To enable scoping:
SCOPE: ENABLE
To disable scoping:
SCOPE: DISABLE
The following example shows how the input parameter "timep" can be evaluated late, after a PREINIT.
bool_t rpcb_gettime(host,timep) char *host PREINIT: time_t tt; INPUT: time_t timep CODE: RETVAL = rpcb_gettime( host, &tt ); timep = tt; OUTPUT: timep RETVAL
The next example shows each input parameter evaluated late.
bool_t rpcb_gettime(host,timep) PREINIT: time_t tt; INPUT: char *host PREINIT: char *h; INPUT: time_t timep CODE: h = host; RETVAL = rpcb_gettime( h, &tt ); timep = tt; OUTPUT: timep RETVAL
Since INPUT sections allow declaration of C variables which do not appear in the parameter list of a subroutine, this may be shortened to:
bool_t rpcb_gettime(host,timep) time_t tt; char *host; char *h = host; time_t timep; CODE: RETVAL = rpcb_gettime( h, &tt ); timep = tt; OUTPUT: timep RETVAL
(We used our knowledge that input conversion for "char *" is a ``simple'' one, thus "host" is initialized on the declaration line, and our assignment "h = host" is not performed too early. Otherwise one would need to have the assignment "h = host" in a CODE: or INIT: section.)
Parameters preceded by "OUTLIST"/"IN_OUTLIST"/"OUT"/"IN_OUT" keywords are considered to be used by the C subroutine via pointers. "OUTLIST"/"OUT" keywords indicate that the C subroutine does not inspect the memory pointed by this parameter, but will write through this pointer to provide additional return values.
Parameters preceded by "OUTLIST" keyword do not appear in the usage signature of the generated Perl function.
Parameters preceded by "IN_OUTLIST"/"IN_OUT"/"OUT" do appear as parameters to the Perl function. With the exception of "OUT"-parameters, these parameters are converted to the corresponding C type, then pointers to these data are given as arguments to the C function. It is expected that the C function will write through these pointers.
The return list of the generated Perl function consists of the C return value from the function (unless the XSUB is of "void" return type or "The NO_OUTPUT Keyword" was used) followed by all the "OUTLIST" and "IN_OUTLIST" parameters (in the order of appearance). On the return from the XSUB the "IN_OUT"/"OUT" Perl parameter will be modified to have the values written by the C function.
For example, an XSUB
void day_month(OUTLIST day, IN unix_time, OUTLIST month) int day int unix_time int month
should be used from Perl as
my ($day, $month) = day_month(time);
The C signature of the corresponding function should be
void day_month(int *day, int unix_time, int *month);
The "IN"/"OUTLIST"/"IN_OUTLIST"/"IN_OUT"/"OUT" keywords can be mixed with ANSI-style declarations, as in
void day_month(OUTLIST int day, int unix_time, OUTLIST int month)
(here the optional "IN" keyword is omitted).
The "IN_OUT" parameters are identical with parameters introduced with ``The & Unary Operator'' and put into the "OUTPUT:" section (see ``The OUTPUT: Keyword''). The "IN_OUTLIST" parameters are very similar, the only difference being that the value C function writes through the pointer would not modify the Perl parameter, but is put in the output list.
The "OUTLIST"/"OUT" parameter differ from "IN_OUTLIST"/"IN_OUT" parameters only by the initial value of the Perl parameter not being read (and not being given to the C function - which gets some garbage instead). For example, the same C function as above can be interfaced with as
void day_month(OUT int day, int unix_time, OUT int month);
or
void day_month(day, unix_time, month) int &day = NO_INIT int unix_time int &month = NO_INIT OUTPUT: day month
However, the generated Perl function is called in very C-ish style:
my ($day, $month); day_month($day, time, $month);
void dump_chars(char *s, short l) { short n = 0; while (n < l) { printf("s[%d] = \"\\%#03o\"\n", n, (int)s[n]); n++; } }
MODULE = x PACKAGE = x
void dump_chars(char *s, short length(s))
should be called as "dump_chars($string)".
This directive is supported with ANSI-type function declarations only.
The host parameter for the rpcb_gettime() XSUB can be optional so the ellipsis can be used to indicate that the XSUB will take a variable number of parameters. Perl should be able to call this XSUB with either of the following statements.
$status = rpcb_gettime( $timep, $host );
$status = rpcb_gettime( $timep );
The XS code, with ellipsis, follows.
bool_t rpcb_gettime(timep, ...) time_t timep = NO_INIT PREINIT: char *host = "localhost"; STRLEN n_a; CODE: if( items > 1 ) host = (char *)SvPV(ST(1), n_a); RETVAL = rpcb_gettime( host, &timep ); OUTPUT: timep RETVAL
For example, suppose that a C function is declared as
symbolic nth_derivative(int n, symbolic function, int flags);
and that the default flags are kept in a global C variable "default_flags". Suppose that you want to create an interface which is called as
$second_deriv = $function->nth_derivative(2);
To do this, declare the XSUB as
symbolic nth_derivative(function, n) symbolic function int n C_ARGS: n, function, default_flags
The actual difference between PPCODE: and CODE: sections is in the initialization of "SP" macro (which stands for the current Perl stack pointer), and in the handling of data on the stack when returning from an XSUB. In CODE: sections SP preserves the value which was on entry to the XSUB: SP is on the function pointer (which follows the last parameter). In PPCODE: sections SP is moved backward to the beginning of the parameter list, which allows "PUSH*()" macros to place output values in the place Perl expects them to be when the XSUB returns back to Perl.
The generated trailer for a CODE: section ensures that the number of return values Perl will see is either 0 or 1 (depending on the "void"ness of the return value of the C function, and heuristics mentioned in ``The RETVAL Variable''). The trailer generated for a PPCODE: section is based on the number of return values and on the number of times "SP" was updated by "[X]PUSH*()" macros.
Note that macros ST(i), "XST_m*()" and "XSRETURN*()" work equally well in CODE: sections and PPCODE: sections.
The following XSUB will call the C rpcb_gettime() function and will return its two output values, timep and status, to Perl as a single list.
void rpcb_gettime(host) char *host PREINIT: time_t timep; bool_t status; PPCODE: status = rpcb_gettime( host, &timep ); EXTEND(SP, 2); PUSHs(sv_2mortal(newSViv(status))); PUSHs(sv_2mortal(newSViv(timep)));
Notice that the programmer must supply the C code necessary to have the real rpcb_gettime() function called and to have the return values properly placed on the argument stack.
The "void" return type for this function tells the xsubpp compiler that the RETVAL variable is not needed or used and that it should not be created. In most scenarios the void return type should be used with the PPCODE: directive.
The EXTEND() macro is used to make room on the argument stack for 2 return values. The PPCODE: directive causes the xsubpp compiler to create a stack pointer available as "SP", and it is this pointer which is being used in the EXTEND() macro. The values are then pushed onto the stack with the PUSHs() macro.
Now the rpcb_gettime() function can be used from Perl with the following statement.
($status, $timep) = rpcb_gettime("localhost");
When handling output parameters with a PPCODE section, be sure to handle 'set' magic properly. See perlguts for details about 'set' magic.
$timep = rpcb_gettime( "localhost" );
The following XSUB uses the "SV *" return type as a mnemonic only, and uses a CODE: block to indicate to the compiler that the programmer has supplied all the necessary code. The sv_newmortal() call will initialize the return value to undef, making that the default return value.
SV * rpcb_gettime(host) char * host PREINIT: time_t timep; bool_t x; CODE: ST(0) = sv_newmortal(); if( rpcb_gettime( host, &timep ) ) sv_setnv( ST(0), (double)timep);
The next example demonstrates how one would place an explicit undef in the return value, should the need arise.
SV * rpcb_gettime(host) char * host PREINIT: time_t timep; bool_t x; CODE: ST(0) = sv_newmortal(); if( rpcb_gettime( host, &timep ) ){ sv_setnv( ST(0), (double)timep); } else{ ST(0) = &PL_sv_undef; }
To return an empty list one must use a PPCODE: block and then not push return values on the stack.
void rpcb_gettime(host) char *host PREINIT: time_t timep; PPCODE: if( rpcb_gettime( host, &timep ) ) PUSHs(sv_2mortal(newSViv(timep))); else{ /* Nothing pushed on stack, so an empty * list is implicitly returned. */ }
Some people may be inclined to include an explicit "return" in the above XSUB, rather than letting control fall through to the end. In those situations "XSRETURN_EMPTY" should be used, instead. This will ensure that the XSUB stack is properly adjusted. Consult perlapi for other "XSRETURN" macros.
Since "XSRETURN_*" macros can be used with CODE blocks as well, one can rewrite this example as:
int rpcb_gettime(host) char *host PREINIT: time_t timep; CODE: RETVAL = rpcb_gettime( host, &timep ); if (RETVAL == 0) XSRETURN_UNDEF; OUTPUT: RETVAL
In fact, one can put this check into a POSTCALL: section as well. Together with PREINIT: simplifications, this leads to:
int rpcb_gettime(host) char *host time_t timep; POSTCALL: if (RETVAL == 0) XSRETURN_UNDEF;
REQUIRE: 1.922
See examples in ``The NO_OUTPUT Keyword'' and ``Returning Undef And Empty Lists''.
The POSTCALL: block does not make a lot of sense when the C subroutine call is supplied by user by providing either CODE: or PPCODE: section.
This keyword may be used any time after the first MODULE keyword and should appear on a line by itself. The first blank line after the keyword will terminate the code block.
BOOT: # The following message will be printed when the # bootstrap function executes. printf("Hello from the bootstrap!\n");
To enable version checking:
VERSIONCHECK: ENABLE
To disable version checking:
VERSIONCHECK: DISABLE
To enable prototypes:
PROTOTYPES: ENABLE
To disable prototypes:
PROTOTYPES: DISABLE
bool_t rpcb_gettime(timep, ...) time_t timep = NO_INIT PROTOTYPE: $;$ PREINIT: char *host = "localhost"; STRLEN n_a; CODE: if( items > 1 ) host = (char *)SvPV(ST(1), n_a); RETVAL = rpcb_gettime( host, &timep ); OUTPUT: timep RETVAL
If the prototypes are enabled, you can disable it locally for a given XSUB as in the following example:
void rpcb_gettime_noproto() PROTOTYPE: DISABLE ...
The following example will create aliases "FOO::gettime()" and "BAR::getit()" for this function.
bool_t rpcb_gettime(host,timep) char *host time_t &timep ALIAS: FOO::gettime = 1 BAR::getit = 2 INIT: printf("# ix = %d\n", ix ); OUTPUT: timep
Since blessed objects are actually stored as RV's, it is useful to use the typemap features to preprocess parameters and extract the actual SV stored within the blessed RV. See the sample for T_PTROBJ_SPECIAL below.
To use the OVERLOAD: keyword, create an XS function which takes three input parameters ( or use the c style '...' definition) like this:
SV * cmp (lobj, robj, swap) My_Module_obj lobj My_Module_obj robj IV swap OVERLOAD: cmp <=> { /* function defined here */}
In this case, the function will overload both of the three way comparison operators. For all overload operations using non-alpha characters, you must type the parameter without quoting, seperating multiple overloads with whitespace. Note that "`` (the stringify overload) should be entered as \''\" (i.e. escaped).
MODULE = RPC PACKAGE = RPC
FALLBACK: TRUE ...
where FALLBACK can take any of the three values TRUE, FALSE, or UNDEF. If you do not set any FALLBACK value when using OVERLOAD, it defaults to UNDEF. FALLBACK is not used except when one or more functions using OVERLOAD have been defined. Please see ``Fallback'' in overload for more details.
For example, if you have 4 C functions multiply(), divide(), add(), subtract() all having the signature:
symbolic f(symbolic, symbolic);
you can make them all to use the same XSUB using this:
symbolic interface_s_ss(arg1, arg2) symbolic arg1 symbolic arg2 INTERFACE: multiply divide add subtract
(This is the complete XSUB code for 4 Perl functions!) Four generated Perl function share names with corresponding C functions.
The advantage of this approach comparing to ALIAS: keyword is that there is no need to code a switch statement, each Perl function (which shares the same XSUB) knows which C function it should call. Additionally, one can attach an extra function remainder() at runtime by using
CV *mycv = newXSproto("Symbolic::remainder", XS_Symbolic_interface_s_ss, __FILE__, "$$"); XSINTERFACE_FUNC_SET(mycv, remainder);
say, from another XSUB. (This example supposes that there was no INTERFACE_MACRO: section, otherwise one needs to use something else instead of "XSINTERFACE_FUNC_SET", see the next section.)
The default value is "XSINTERFACE_FUNC" and "XSINTERFACE_FUNC_SET". An INTERFACE keyword with an empty list of functions can be omitted if INTERFACE_MACRO keyword is used.
Suppose that in the previous example functions pointers for multiply(), divide(), add(), subtract() are kept in a global C array "fp[]" with offsets being "multiply_off", "divide_off", "add_off", "subtract_off". Then one can use
#define XSINTERFACE_FUNC_BYOFFSET(ret,cv,f) \ ((XSINTERFACE_CVT(ret,))fp[CvXSUBANY(cv).any_i32]) #define XSINTERFACE_FUNC_BYOFFSET_set(cv,f) \ CvXSUBANY(cv).any_i32 = CAT2( f, _off )
in C section,
symbolic interface_s_ss(arg1, arg2) symbolic arg1 symbolic arg2 INTERFACE_MACRO: XSINTERFACE_FUNC_BYOFFSET XSINTERFACE_FUNC_BYOFFSET_set INTERFACE: multiply divide add subtract
The file Rpcb1.xsh contains our "rpcb_gettime()" function:
bool_t rpcb_gettime(host,timep) char *host time_t &timep OUTPUT: timep
The XS module can use INCLUDE: to pull that file into it.
INCLUDE: Rpcb1.xsh
If the parameters to the INCLUDE: keyword are followed by a pipe ("|") then the compiler will interpret the parameters as a command.
INCLUDE: cat Rpcb1.xsh |
A CASE: might switch via a parameter of the XSUB, via the "ix" ALIAS: variable (see ``The ALIAS: Keyword''), or maybe via the "items" variable (see ``Variable-length Parameter Lists''). The last CASE: becomes the default case if it is not associated with a conditional. The following example shows CASE switched via "ix" with a function "rpcb_gettime()" having an alias "x_gettime()". When the function is called as "rpcb_gettime()" its parameters are the usual "(char *host, time_t *timep)", but when the function is called as "x_gettime()" its parameters are reversed, "(time_t *timep, char *host)".
long rpcb_gettime(a,b) CASE: ix == 1 ALIAS: x_gettime = 1 INPUT: # 'a' is timep, 'b' is host char *b time_t a = NO_INIT CODE: RETVAL = rpcb_gettime( b, &a ); OUTPUT: a RETVAL CASE: # 'a' is host, 'b' is timep char *a time_t &b = NO_INIT OUTPUT: b RETVAL
That function can be called with either of the following statements. Note the different argument lists.
$status = rpcb_gettime( $host, $timep );
$status = x_gettime( $timep, $host );
This is useful to avoid a CODE: block for a C function which takes a parameter by reference. Typically, the parameter should be not a pointer type (an "int" or "long" but not an "int*" or "long*").
The following XSUB will generate incorrect C code. The xsubpp compiler will turn this into code which calls "rpcb_gettime()" with parameters "(char *host, time_t timep)", but the real "rpcb_gettime()" wants the "timep" parameter to be of type "time_t*" rather than "time_t".
bool_t rpcb_gettime(host,timep) char *host time_t timep OUTPUT: timep
That problem is corrected by using the "&" operator. The xsubpp compiler will now turn this into code which calls "rpcb_gettime()" correctly with parameters "(char *host, time_t *timep)". It does this by carrying the "&" through, so the function call looks like "rpcb_gettime(host, &timep)".
bool_t rpcb_gettime(host,timep) char *host time_t &timep OUTPUT: timep
Comments can be added to XSUBs by placing a "#" as the first non-whitespace of a line. Care should be taken to avoid making the comment look like a C preprocessor directive, lest it be interpreted as such. The simplest way to prevent this is to put whitespace in front of the "#".
If you use preprocessor directives to choose one of two versions of a function, use
#if ... version1 #else /* ... version2 */ #endif
and not
#if ... version1 #endif #if ... version2 #endif
because otherwise xsubpp will believe that you made a duplicate definition of the function. Also, put a blank line before the #else/#endif so it will not be seen as part of the function body.
If the return type of the XSUB includes "static", the method is considered to be a static method. It will call the C++ function using the class::method() syntax. If the method is not static the function will be called using the THIS->method() syntax.
The next examples will use the following C++ class.
class color { public: color(); ~color(); int blue(); void set_blue( int );
private: int c_blue; };
The XSUBs for the blue() and set_blue() methods are defined with the class name but the parameter for the object (THIS, or ``self'') is implicit and is not listed.
int color::blue()
void color::set_blue( val ) int val
Both Perl functions will expect an object as the first parameter. In the generated C++ code the object is called "THIS", and the method call will be performed on this object. So in the C++ code the blue() and set_blue() methods will be called as this:
RETVAL = THIS->blue();
THIS->set_blue( val );
You could also write a single get/set method using an optional argument:
int color::blue( val = NO_INIT ) int val PROTOTYPE $;$ CODE: if (items > 1) THIS->set_blue( val ); RETVAL = THIS->blue(); OUTPUT: RETVAL
If the function's name is DESTROY then the C++ "delete" function will be called and "THIS" will be given as its parameter. The generated C++ code for
void color::DESTROY()
will look like this:
color *THIS = ...; // Initialized as in typemap
delete THIS;
If the function's name is new then the C++ "new" function will be called to create a dynamic C++ object. The XSUB will expect the class name, which will be kept in a variable called "CLASS", to be given as the first argument.
color * color::new()
The generated C++ code will call "new".
RETVAL = new color();
The following is an example of a typemap that could be used for this C++ example.
TYPEMAP color * O_OBJECT
OUTPUT # The Perl object is blessed into 'CLASS', which should be a # char* having the name of the package for the blessing. O_OBJECT sv_setref_pv( $arg, CLASS, (void*)$var );
INPUT O_OBJECT if( sv_isobject($arg) && (SvTYPE(SvRV($arg)) == SVt_PVMG) ) $var = ($type)SvIV((SV*)SvRV( $arg )); else{ warn( \"${Package}::$func_name() -- $var is not a blessed SV reference\" ); XSRETURN_UNDEF; }
Identify the C functions with input/output or output parameters. The XSUBs for these functions may be able to return lists to Perl.
Identify the C functions which use some inband info as an indication of failure. They may be candidates to return undef or an empty list in case of failure. If the failure may be detected without a call to the C function, you may want to use an INIT: section to report the failure. For failures detectable after the C function returns one may want to use a POSTCALL: section to process the failure. In more complicated cases use CODE: or PPCODE: sections.
If many functions use the same failure indication based on the return value, you may want to create a special typedef to handle this situation. Put
typedef int negative_is_failure;
near the beginning of XS file, and create an OUTPUT typemap entry for "negative_is_failure" which converts negative values to "undef", or maybe croak()s. After this the return value of type "negative_is_failure" will create more Perl-like interface.
Identify which values are used by only the C and XSUB functions themselves, say, when a parameter to a function should be a contents of a global variable. If Perl does not need to access the contents of the value then it may not be necessary to provide a translation for that value from C to Perl.
Identify the pointers in the C function parameter lists and return values. Some pointers may be used to implement input/output or output parameters, they can be handled in XS with the "&" unary operator, and, possibly, using the NO_INIT keyword. Some others will require handling of types like "int *", and one needs to decide what a useful Perl translation will do in such a case. When the semantic is clear, it is advisable to put the translation into a typemap file.
Identify the structures used by the C functions. In many cases it may be helpful to use the T_PTROBJ typemap for these structures so they can be manipulated by Perl as blessed objects. (This is handled automatically by "h2xs -x".)
If the same C type is used in several different contexts which require different translations, "typedef" several new types mapped to this C type, and create separate typemap entries for these new types. Use these types in declarations of return type and parameters to XSUBs.
The following XS code shows the getnetconfigent() function which is used with ONC+ TIRPC. The getnetconfigent() function will return a pointer to a C structure and has the C prototype shown below. The example will demonstrate how the C pointer will become a Perl reference. Perl will consider this reference to be a pointer to a blessed object and will attempt to call a destructor for the object. A destructor will be provided in the XS source to free the memory used by getnetconfigent(). Destructors in XS can be created by specifying an XSUB function whose name ends with the word DESTROY. XS destructors can be used to free memory which may have been malloc'd by another XSUB.
struct netconfig *getnetconfigent(const char *netid);
A "typedef" will be created for "struct netconfig". The Perl object will be blessed in a class matching the name of the C type, with the tag "Ptr" appended, and the name should not have embedded spaces if it will be a Perl package name. The destructor will be placed in a class corresponding to the class of the object and the PREFIX keyword will be used to trim the name to the word DESTROY as Perl will expect.
typedef struct netconfig Netconfig;
MODULE = RPC PACKAGE = RPC
Netconfig * getnetconfigent(netid) char *netid
MODULE = RPC PACKAGE = NetconfigPtr PREFIX = rpcb_
void rpcb_DESTROY(netconf) Netconfig *netconf CODE: printf("Now in NetconfigPtr::DESTROY\n"); free( netconf );
This example requires the following typemap entry. Consult the typemap section for more information about adding new typemaps for an extension.
TYPEMAP Netconfig * T_PTROBJ
This example will be used with the following Perl statements.
use RPC; $netconf = getnetconfigent("udp");
When Perl destroys the object referenced by $netconf it will send the object to the supplied XSUB DESTROY function. Perl cannot determine, and does not care, that this object is a C struct and not a Perl object. In this sense, there is no difference between the object created by the getnetconfigent() XSUB and an object created by a normal Perl subroutine.
The default typemap in the "lib/ExtUtils" directory of the Perl source contains many useful types which can be used by Perl extensions. Some extensions define additional typemaps which they keep in their own directory. These additional typemaps may reference INPUT and OUTPUT maps in the main typemap. The xsubpp compiler will allow the extension's own typemap to override any mappings which are in the default typemap.
Most extensions which require a custom typemap will need only the TYPEMAP section of the typemap file. The custom typemap used in the getnetconfigent() example shown earlier demonstrates what may be the typical use of extension typemaps. That typemap is used to equate a C structure with the T_PTROBJ typemap. The typemap used by getnetconfigent() is shown here. Note that the C type is separated from the XS type with a tab and that the C unary operator "*" is considered to be a part of the C type name.
TYPEMAP Netconfig *<tab>T_PTROBJ
Here's a more complicated example: suppose that you wanted "struct netconfig" to be blessed into the class "Net::Config". One way to do this is to use underscores (_) to separate package names, as follows:
typedef struct netconfig * Net_Config;
And then provide a typemap entry "T_PTROBJ_SPECIAL" that maps underscores to double-colons (::), and declare "Net_Config" to be of that type:
TYPEMAP Net_Config T_PTROBJ_SPECIAL
INPUT T_PTROBJ_SPECIAL if (sv_derived_from($arg, \"${(my $ntt=$ntype)=~s/_/::/g;\$ntt}\")) { IV tmp = SvIV((SV*)SvRV($arg)); $var = INT2PTR($type, tmp); } else croak(\"$var is not of type ${(my $ntt=$ntype)=~s/_/::/g;\$ntt}\")
OUTPUT T_PTROBJ_SPECIAL sv_setref_pv($arg, \"${(my $ntt=$ntype)=~s/_/::/g;\$ntt}\", (void*)$var);
The INPUT and OUTPUT sections substitute underscores for double-colons on the fly, giving the desired effect. This example demonstrates some of the power and versatility of the typemap facility.
The INT2PTR macro (defined in perl.h) casts an integer to a pointer, of a given type, taking care of the possible different size of integers and pointers. There are also PTR2IV, PTR2UV, PTR2NV macros, to map the other way, which may be useful in OUTPUT sections.
Although primarily designed for use with multi-threaded Perl, the macros have been designed so that they will work with non-threaded Perl as well.
It is therefore strongly recommended that these macros be used by all XS modules that make use of static data.
The easiest way to get a template set of macros to use is by specifying the "-g" ("--global") option with h2xs (see h2xs).
Below is an example module that makes use of the macros.
#include "EXTERN.h" #include "perl.h" #include "XSUB.h"
/* Global Data */
#define MY_CXT_KEY "BlindMice::_guts" XS_VERSION
typedef struct { int count; char name[3][100]; } my_cxt_t;
START_MY_CXT
MODULE = BlindMice PACKAGE = BlindMice
BOOT: { MY_CXT_INIT; MY_CXT.count = 0; strcpy(MY_CXT.name[0], "None"); strcpy(MY_CXT.name[1], "None"); strcpy(MY_CXT.name[2], "None"); }
int newMouse(char * name) char * name; PREINIT: dMY_CXT; CODE: if (MY_CXT.count >= 3) { warn("Already have 3 blind mice"); RETVAL = 0; } else { RETVAL = ++ MY_CXT.count; strcpy(MY_CXT.name[MY_CXT.count - 1], name); }
char * get_mouse_name(index) int index CODE: dMY_CXT; RETVAL = MY_CXT.lives ++; if (index > MY_CXT.count) croak("There are only 3 blind mice."); else RETVAL = newSVpv(MY_CXT.name[index - 1]);
REFERENCE
#define MY_CXT_KEY "MyModule::_guts" XS_VERSION
Declare a typedef named "my_cxt_t" that is a structure that contains all the data that needs to be interpreter-local.
typedef struct { int some_value; } my_cxt_t;
It must be called exactly once --- typically in a BOOT: section.
typedef struct { int index; } my_cxt_t;
then use this to access the "index" member
dMY_CXT; MY_CXT.index = 2;
#include "EXTERN.h" #include "perl.h" #include "XSUB.h"
#include <rpc/rpc.h>
typedef struct netconfig Netconfig;
MODULE = RPC PACKAGE = RPC
SV * rpcb_gettime(host="localhost") char *host PREINIT: time_t timep; CODE: ST(0) = sv_newmortal(); if( rpcb_gettime( host, &timep ) ) sv_setnv( ST(0), (double)timep );
Netconfig * getnetconfigent(netid="udp") char *netid
MODULE = RPC PACKAGE = NetconfigPtr PREFIX = rpcb_
void rpcb_DESTROY(netconf) Netconfig *netconf CODE: printf("NetconfigPtr::DESTROY\n"); free( netconf );
File "typemap": Custom typemap for RPC.xs.
TYPEMAP Netconfig * T_PTROBJ
File "RPC.pm": Perl module for the RPC extension.
package RPC;
require Exporter; require DynaLoader; @ISA = qw(Exporter DynaLoader); @EXPORT = qw(rpcb_gettime getnetconfigent);
bootstrap RPC; 1;
File "rpctest.pl": Perl test program for the RPC extension.
use RPC;
$netconf = getnetconfigent(); $a = rpcb_gettime(); print "time = $a\n"; print "netconf = $netconf\n";
$netconf = getnetconfigent("tcp"); $a = rpcb_gettime("poplar"); print "time = $a\n"; print "netconf = $netconf\n";
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