Light FFI support, independent of the compiler

The light FFI offers only basic FFI features:

  • Extern methods implemented in C, nested within the Nit code. The body of these method is copied directly to the generated C files for compilation. Also supports extern new factories.
  • Module level C code blocks, both "C Body" (the default) and "C Header". They will be copied to the beginning of the generated C files.
  • Automatic transformation of Nit primitive types from/to their equivalent in C.
  • Extern classes to create a Nit class around a C pointer. Allows to specify the equivalent C type of the Nit extern class.

These limited features should be easy to implement in new/alternative engines to quickly achieve a bootstrap. For this reason, core features of the Nit standard library should be limited to use the light FFI.

Redefined classes

redef class AMethPropdef

nitc :: light_ffi $ AMethPropdef

A definition of all kind of method (including constructors)
redef class AModule

nitc :: light_ffi $ AModule

The main node of a Nit source-file
redef class MModule

nitc :: light_ffi $ MModule

A Nit module is usually associated with a Nit source file.

All class definitions

redef class AMethPropdef

nitc :: light_ffi $ AMethPropdef

A definition of all kind of method (including constructors)
redef class AModule

nitc :: light_ffi $ AModule

The main node of a Nit source-file
redef class MModule

nitc :: light_ffi $ MModule

A Nit module is usually associated with a Nit source file.
package_diagram nitc::light_ffi light_ffi nitc::extern_classes extern_classes nitc::light_ffi->nitc::extern_classes nitc::light_c light_c nitc::light_ffi->nitc::light_c nitc::light_ffi_base light_ffi_base nitc::extern_classes->nitc::light_ffi_base nitc\>modelize\> modelize nitc::extern_classes->nitc\>modelize\> nitc::light_c->nitc::light_ffi_base nitc::modelize_property modelize_property nitc::light_c->nitc::modelize_property ...nitc::light_ffi_base ... ...nitc::light_ffi_base->nitc::light_ffi_base ...nitc\>modelize\> ... ...nitc\>modelize\>->nitc\>modelize\> ...nitc::modelize_property ... ...nitc::modelize_property->nitc::modelize_property nitc::ffi ffi nitc::ffi->nitc::light_ffi nitc::light light nitc::light->nitc::light_ffi nitc::on_demand_compiler on_demand_compiler nitc::on_demand_compiler->nitc::ffi nitc::android android nitc::android->nitc::ffi nitc::on_demand_compiler... ... nitc::on_demand_compiler...->nitc::on_demand_compiler nitc::android... ... nitc::android...->nitc::android nitc::compiler_ffi compiler_ffi nitc::compiler_ffi->nitc::light nitc::light_only light_only nitc::light_only->nitc::light nitc::compiler_ffi... ... nitc::compiler_ffi...->nitc::compiler_ffi nitc::light_only... ... nitc::light_only...->nitc::light_only

Ancestors

module abstract_collection

core :: abstract_collection

Abstract collection classes and services.
module abstract_text

core :: abstract_text

Abstract class for manipulation of sequences of characters
module annotation

nitc :: annotation

Management and utilities on annotations
module array

core :: array

This module introduces the standard array structure.
module bitset

core :: bitset

Services to handle BitSet
module bytes

core :: bytes

Services for byte streams and arrays
module c_tools

nitc :: c_tools

provides tools to write C .c and .h files
module caching

serialization :: caching

Services for caching serialization engines
module circular_array

core :: circular_array

Efficient data structure to access both end of the sequence.
module codec_base

core :: codec_base

Base for codecs to use with streams
module codecs

core :: codecs

Group module for all codec-related manipulations
module collection

core :: collection

This module define several collection classes.
module console

console :: console

Defines some ANSI Terminal Control Escape Sequences.
module core

core :: core

Standard classes and methods used by default by Nit programs and libraries.
module digraph

graph :: digraph

Implementation of directed graphs, also called digraphs.
module engine_tools

serialization :: engine_tools

Advanced services for serialization engines
module environ

core :: environ

Access to the environment variables of the process
module error

core :: error

Standard error-management infrastructure.
module exec

core :: exec

Invocation and management of operating system sub-processes.
module file

core :: file

File manipulations (create, read, write, etc.)
module fixed_ints

core :: fixed_ints

Basic integers of fixed-precision
module fixed_ints_text

core :: fixed_ints_text

Text services to complement fixed_ints
module flat

core :: flat

All the array-based text representations
module gc

core :: gc

Access to the Nit internal garbage collection mechanism
module hash_collection

core :: hash_collection

Introduce HashMap and HashSet.
module ini

ini :: ini

Read and write INI configuration files
module inspect

serialization :: inspect

Refine Serializable::inspect to show more useful information
module iso8859_1

core :: iso8859_1

Codec for ISO8859-1 I/O
module kernel

core :: kernel

Most basic classes and methods.
module lexer

nitc :: lexer

Lexer and its tokens.
module lexer_work

nitc :: lexer_work

Internal algorithm and data structures for the Nit lexer
module light_ffi_base

nitc :: light_ffi_base

Tools and utilities for implement FFI with different languages
module list

core :: list

This module handle double linked lists
module literal

nitc :: literal

Parsing of literal values in the abstract syntax tree.
module loader

nitc :: loader

Loading of Nit source files
module location

nitc :: location

Nit source-file and locations in source-file
module math

core :: math

Mathematical operations
module mdoc

nitc :: mdoc

Documentation of model entities
module meta

meta :: meta

Simple user-defined meta-level to manipulate types of instances as object.
module mmodule

nitc :: mmodule

modules and module hierarchies in the metamodel
module mmodule_data

nitc :: mmodule_data

Define and retrieve data in modules
module model

nitc :: model

Classes, types and properties
module model_base

nitc :: model_base

The abstract concept of model and related common things
module modelbuilder_base

nitc :: modelbuilder_base

Load nit source files and build the associated model
module modelize

nitc :: modelize

Create a model from nit source files
module modelize_class

nitc :: modelize_class

Analysis and verification of class definitions to instantiate model element
module modelize_property

nitc :: modelize_property

Analysis and verification of property definitions to instantiate model element
module more_collections

more_collections :: more_collections

Highly specific, but useful, collections-related classes.
module mpackage

nitc :: mpackage

Modelisation of a Nit package
module native

core :: native

Native structures for text and bytes
module nitni_base

nitc :: nitni_base

Native interface related services (used underneath the FFI)
module nitpm_shared

nitc :: nitpm_shared

Services related to the Nit package manager
module numeric

core :: numeric

Advanced services for Numeric types
module opts

opts :: opts

Management of options on the command line
module ordered_tree

ordered_tree :: ordered_tree

Manipulation and presentation of ordered trees.
module parser

nitc :: parser

Parser.
module parser_nodes

nitc :: parser_nodes

AST nodes of the Nit language
module parser_prod

nitc :: parser_prod

Production AST nodes full definition.
module parser_work

nitc :: parser_work

Internal algorithm and data structures for the Nit parser
module phase

nitc :: phase

Phases of the processing of nit programs
module poset

poset :: poset

Pre order sets and partial order set (ie hierarchies)
module protocol

core :: protocol

module queue

core :: queue

Queuing data structures and wrappers
module range

core :: range

Module for range of discrete objects.
module re

core :: re

Regular expression support for all services based on Pattern
module ropes

core :: ropes

Tree-based representation of a String.
module serialization

serialization :: serialization

General serialization services
module serialization_core

serialization :: serialization_core

Abstract services to serialize Nit objects to different formats
module sorter

core :: sorter

This module contains classes used to compare things and sorts arrays.
module stream

core :: stream

Input and output streams of characters
module tables

nitc :: tables

Module that interfaces the parsing tables.
module template

template :: template

Basic template system
module text

core :: text

All the classes and methods related to the manipulation of text entities
module time

core :: time

Management of time and dates
module toolcontext

nitc :: toolcontext

Common command-line tool infrastructure than handle options and error messages
module union_find

core :: union_find

union–find algorithm using an efficient disjoint-set data structure
module utf8

core :: utf8

Codec for UTF-8 I/O
module version

nitc :: version

This file was generated by git-gen-version.sh

Parents

module extern_classes

nitc :: extern_classes

Manages all extern classes and their associated foreign type.
module light_c

nitc :: light_c

Support for nesting C code within a Nit program using its FFI

Children

module ffi

nitc :: ffi

Full FFI support, independent of the compiler
module light

nitc :: light

Light FFI support for the compiler

Descendants

module a_star-m

a_star-m

module android

nitc :: android

Compile program for the Android platform
module compiler

nitc :: compiler

Compilation to C
module compiler_ffi

nitc :: compiler_ffi

Full FFI support for the compiler
module dynamic_loading_ffi

nitc :: dynamic_loading_ffi

Execute FFI code by creating and loading shared libraries
module interpreter

nitc :: interpreter

Interpretation of Nit programs
module light_only

nitc :: light_only

Compiler support for the light FFI only, detects unsupported usage of callbacks
module nit

nitc :: nit

A naive Nit interpreter
module nitc

nitc :: nitc

A Nit compiler
module nith

nitc :: nith

A ligHt Nit compiler
module on_demand_compiler

nitc :: on_demand_compiler

Compiles extern code within a module to a static library, as needed
module test_astbuilder

nitc :: test_astbuilder

Program used to test the clone method of the astbuilder tool
# Light FFI support, independent of the compiler
#
# The light FFI offers only basic FFI features:
#
# * **Extern methods** implemented in C, nested within the Nit code.
#   The body of these method is copied directly to the generated C files for compilation.
#   Also supports extern `new` factories.
# * Module level **C code blocks**, both "C Body" (the default) and "C Header".
#   They will be copied to the beginning of the generated C files.
# * Automatic transformation of Nit **primitive types** from/to their equivalent in C.
# * **Extern classes** to create a Nit class around a C pointer.
#   Allows to specify the equivalent C type of the Nit extern class.
#
# These limited features should be easy to implement in new/alternative engines
# to quickly achieve a bootstrap. For this reason, core features of the Nit
# standard library should be limited to use the light FFI.
module light_ffi

import modelbuilder

import nitni::nitni_utilities

intrude import light_ffi_base
import extern_classes
import light_c

redef class MModule
	# Does this module uses the FFI?
	var uses_ffi: Bool = false

	# C compilation unit for the FFI files
	private var ffi_ccu: nullable CCompilationUnit = null

	# Foreign language used in this AModule
	private var present_languages = new HashSet[FFILanguage]

	# Complete the compilation of the FFI code
	fun finalize_ffi_wrapper(compdir: String, mainmodule: MModule)
	do
		var cflags = self.cflags[""].join(" ")

		ffi_ccu.write_as_impl(self, compdir)
		for filename in ffi_ccu.files do
			var f = new ExternCFile(filename.basename, cflags)
			f.pkgconfigs.add_all pkgconfigs
			ffi_files.add(f)
		end
	end

	# Avoid the compile a ffi propdef more than once
	# See `AMethPropdef::compile_ffi_method`
	# FIXME find a better way
	private var compiled_ffi_methods = new HashSet[AMethPropdef]
end

redef class AModule

	# Ensures all of the general foreign code of the module has been analyzed.
	# Manages header blocks, extern class types and foreign dependancies between modules
	fun ensure_compile_ffi_wrapper
	do
		var mmodule = mmodule
		if mmodule == null or mmodule.ffi_ccu != null then return

		# ready extern code compiler
		var ffi_ccu = new CCompilationUnit
		mmodule.ffi_ccu = ffi_ccu

		# generate code
		for block in n_extern_code_blocks do
			var language = block.language
			assert language != null
			mmodule.present_languages.add(language)
			language.compile_module_block(block, ffi_ccu, mmodule)
		end

		ffi_ccu.header_c_base.add( "#include \"{mmodule.c_name}._nitni.h\"\n" )

		ffi_ccu.body_decl.add("#ifdef ANDROID\n")
		ffi_ccu.body_decl.add("	#include <android/log.h>\n")
		ffi_ccu.body_decl.add("	#define PRINT_ERROR(...) (void)__android_log_print(ANDROID_LOG_WARN, \"Nit\", __VA_ARGS__)\n")
		ffi_ccu.body_decl.add("#else\n")
		ffi_ccu.body_decl.add("	#define PRINT_ERROR(...) fprintf(stderr, __VA_ARGS__)\n")
		ffi_ccu.body_decl.add("#endif\n")

		for nclassdef in n_classdefs do
			# Does it declares an extern type?
			if nclassdef isa AStdClassdef and nclassdef.n_extern_code_block != null then
				mmodule.uses_ffi = true
				var language = nclassdef.n_extern_code_block.language
				assert language != null
				mmodule.present_languages.add(language)
				nclassdef.n_extern_code_block.language.compile_extern_class(
					nclassdef.n_extern_code_block.as(not null), nclassdef, ffi_ccu, mmodule)
			end
		end
	end
end

redef class AMethPropdef
	# Compile the necessary wrapper around this extern method or constructor
	fun compile_ffi_method(mmodule: MModule)
	do
		assert n_extern_code_block != null

		if mmodule.compiled_ffi_methods.has(self) then return
		mmodule.compiled_ffi_methods.add self

		var language = n_extern_code_block.language
		assert language != null
		mmodule.present_languages.add(language)
		n_extern_code_block.language.compile_extern_method(
			n_extern_code_block.as(not null), self, mmodule.ffi_ccu.as(not null), mmodule)
	end
end
src/ffi/light_ffi.nit:17,1--131,3