NAME

array - The array library interface

SYNTAX

#include <libowfat/array.h>

DESCRIPTION

An allocated array variable keeps track of

• a (nonzero) pointer to a dynamically allocated region of memory;
• the number of bytes allocated (always positive); and
• the number of bytes initialized (between 0 and the number of bytes allocated).

There are two other possibilities for the state of an array variable: unallocated and failed. In both cases, there is no dynamically allocated region of memory.

A new array variable is normally created as a static variable:

#include <libowfat/array.h>

static array x;

At this point it is unallocated. The array library provides various allocation and inspection functions.

A new array variable can also be created dynamically. It must be initialized to all-0, meaning unallocated, before it is given to any of the array functions. It must be returned to the unallocated (or failed) state, for example with array_reset, before it is destroyed. These rules prevent all memory leaks.

Expansion and inspection

array x;

t* p1 = array_allocate(&x,sizeof(t),pos);

t* p2 = array_get(&x,sizeof(t),pos);

t* p3 = array_start(&x);

int64 len = array_length(&x,sizeof(t));

int64 bytes = array_bytes(&x);

Truncation and deallocation

array x;

array_truncate(&x,sizeof(t),len);

array_trunc(&x);

array_reset(&x);

array_fail(&x);

Comparison

array x;
array y;

if (array_equal(&x,&y))
/* arrays are equal... */

Concatenation

array x;
array y;

array_cat(&x,&y);

array_catb(&x,"fnord",5);

array_cats(&x,"fnord");

array_cats0(&x,"fnord"); /* also append the \0 */

array_cat0(&x); /* append \0 */

array_cate(&x,"fnord",1,4); /* append "nor" */

ORIGINAL API DEFINITION

http://cr.yp.to/lib/array.html

SEE ALSO

array_get(3), array_start(3), array_fail(3)