


TRAMPOLINE(3)                                       TRAMPOLINE(3)


NAME
       trampoline - closures as first-class C functions

SYNOPSIS
       #include <trampoline_r.h>

       function = alloc_trampoline_r(address, data0, data1);

       free_trampoline_r(function);

       is_trampoline_r(function)
       trampoline_r_address(function)
       trampoline_r_data0(function)
       trampoline_r_data1(function)

DESCRIPTION
       These  functions implement closures as first-class C func-
       tions.  A closure consists of a regular C function  and  a
       piece of data which gets passed to the C function when the
       closure is called.

       Closures as first-class C functions means  that  they  fit
       into a function pointer and can be called exactly like any
       other C function.  function =  alloc_trampoline_r(address,
       data0,  data1)  allocates  a  closure.  When function gets
       called, it stores in a special "lexical chain register"  a
       pointer  to  a  storage area containing data0 in its first
       word and data1 in its second word and calls the C function
       at  address.   The  function at address is responsible for
       fetching data0 and data1 off the pointer.  Note  that  the
       "lexical  chain register" is a call-used register, i.e. is
       clobbered by function calls.

       This is much like gcc's local functions, except  that  the
       GNU  C local functions have dynamic extent (i.e. are deal-
       located when the creating function returns), while trampo-
       line  provides  functions with indefinite extent: function
       is only deallocated  when  free_trampoline_r(function)  is
       called.

       is_trampoline_r(function)  checks  whether  the C function
       function was produced by a call to alloc_trampoline_r.  If
       this  returns  true,  the arguments given to alloc_trampo-
       line_r can be retrieved:

           trampoline_r_address(function) returns address,

           trampoline_r_data0(function) returns data0,

           trampoline_r_data1(function) returns data1.


SEE ALSO
       trampoline(3), gcc(1), varargs(3)



                         22 October 1997                        1





TRAMPOLINE(3)                                       TRAMPOLINE(3)


PORTING
       The way gcc builds local functions is described in the gcc
       source, file gcc-2.6.3/config/cpu/cpu.h.


AUTHOR
       Bruno Haible <haible@clisp.cons.org>


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
       Many ideas were cribbed from the gcc source.














































                         22 October 1997                        2


