UFFI Reference Guide

Table of Contents

Preface

1. Introduction

Purpose

Background

Supported Implementations

Design

Overview

Priorities

2. Programming Notes

Implementation Specific Notes

AllegroCL

Lispworks

CMUCL

Foreign Object Representation and Access

Optimizing Code Using UFFI

Background

Cross-Implementation Optimization

I. Declarations

def-type — Defines a Common Lisp type.

II. Primitive Types

def-constant — Binds a symbol to a constant.

def-foreign-type — Defines a new foreign type.

null-char-p — Tests a character for NULL value.

III. Aggregate Types

def-enum — Defines a C enumeration.

def-struct — Defines a C structure.

get-slot-value — Retrieves a value from a slot of a structure.

get-slot-pointer — Retrieves a pointer from a slot of a structure.

def-array-pointer — Defines a pointer to a array of type.

deref-array — Deference an array.

def-union — Defines a foreign union type.

IV. Objects

allocate-foreign-object — Allocates an instance of a foreign object.

free-foreign-object — Frees memory that was allocated for a foreign boject.

with-foreign-object — Wraps the allocation of a foreign object around a body of code.

size-of-foreign-type — Returns the number of data bytes used by a foreign object type.

pointer-address — Returns the address of a pointer.

deref-pointer — Deferences a pointer.

ensure-char-character — Ensures that a dereferenced :char pointer is a character.

ensure-char-integer — Ensures that a dereferenced :char pointer is an integer.

make-null-pointer — Create a NULL pointer.

null-pointer-p — Tests a pointer for NULL value.

+null-cstring-pointer+ — A constant NULL cstring pointer.

with-cast-pointer — Wraps a body of code with a pointer cast to a new type.

def-foreign-var — Defines a symbol macro to access a variable in foreign code

V. Strings

convert-from-cstring — Converts a cstring to a Lisp string.

convert-to-cstring — Converts a Lisp string to a cstring.

free-cstring — Free memory used by cstring.

with-cstring — Binds a newly created cstring.

convert-from-foreign-string — Converts a foreign string into a Lisp string.

convert-to-foreign-string — Converts a Lisp string to a foreign string.

allocate-foreign-string — Allocates space for a foreign string.

VI. Functions & Libraries

def-function — Declares a function.

load-foreign-library — Loads a foreign library.

find-foreign-library — Finds a foreign library file.

A. Installation

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Glossary