mirror of
https://github.com/matrix-construct/construct
synced 2024-11-30 02:32:43 +01:00
27 lines
1.4 KiB
Markdown
27 lines
1.4 KiB
Markdown
|
## Memory Buffer Tools
|
||
|
|
||
|
This is a modernization of the `(char *buf, size_t buf_sz)` pattern used
|
||
|
when working with segments of RAMs. While in C99 it is possible (and
|
||
|
recommended) for a project to create a `struct buffer { char *ptr; size_t size; };`
|
||
|
and then manually perform object semantics `buffer_copy(dst, src);`
|
||
|
`buffer_move(dst, src)``buffer_free(buf);` etc, we create those devices using
|
||
|
C++ language features here instead.
|
||
|
|
||
|
This suite is born out of (though not directly based on) the boost::asio buffer
|
||
|
objects `boost::asio::const_buffer` and `boost::asio::mutable_buffer` and the
|
||
|
two principal objects used ubiquitously throughout IRCd share the same names
|
||
|
and general properties. We also offer conversions between them for developers
|
||
|
working with any asio interfaces directly.
|
||
|
|
||
|
To summarize some basics about these tools:
|
||
|
|
||
|
- Most of these interfaces are "thin" and don't own their underlying data, nor
|
||
|
will they copy their underlying data even if their instance itself is copied.
|
||
|
|
||
|
- We work with signed `char *` (and `const char *`) types. We do not work with
|
||
|
`void` pointers because size integers always represent a count of single bytes
|
||
|
and there is no reason to lose or confuse that information. If `unsigned char *`
|
||
|
types are required by some library function an explicit cast to `uint8_t *` may
|
||
|
be required especially to avoid warnings. Note that we compile this project with
|
||
|
`-fsigned-char` and don't support platforms that have incompatible conversions.
|