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1 \name{dynbind}
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2 \alias{dynbind}
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3 \title{Binding C library functions via thin call wrappers}
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4 \description{Function to bind several foreign functions of a C library via installation of thin R call wrappers.}
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5 \usage{
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6 dynbind(libnames, signature,
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7 envir=parent.frame(), callmode="default",
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8 pat=NULL, replace=NULL, funcptr=FALSE)
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9 }
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10 \arguments{
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11 \item{libnames}{vector of character strings giving short library names of the shared library to be loaded. See \code{\link{dynfind}} for details.}
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12 \item{signature}{character string specifying the \emph{library signature} that determines the set of foreign function names and types. See details.}
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13 \item{envir}{the environment to use for installation of call wrappers.}
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14 \item{callmode}{character string specifying the calling convention, see details.}
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15 \item{pat}{NULL or regular expression character string applied to symbolic names.}
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16 \item{replace}{NULL or replacement character string applied to \code{pat} part of symbolic names.}
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17 \item{funcptr}{logical, that indicates whether foreign objects refer to functions (\code{FALSE}, default) or to function poiner variables (\code{TRUE} rarely needed).}
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18 }
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19 \details{
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20 \code{dynbind} makes a set of C functions available to R through installation of thin call wrappers.
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21 The set of functions, including the symbolic name and function type, is specified by \code{signature} ; a character string that encodes a
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22 library signature:
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23
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24 The \strong{library signature} is a compact plain-text format to specify a set of function bindings.
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25 It consists of function names and corresponding \link[=call signature]{call signatures}. Function bindings are separated
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26 by \sQuote{;} (semicolon) ; white spaces (including tab and new line) are allowed before and after semicolon.
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27
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28 \tabular{c}{
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29 \emph{function-name} \code{(} \emph{call-signature} \code{;} \ldots \cr
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30 }
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31
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32 Here is an example that specifies three function bindings to the OpenGL library:
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33 \preformatted{"glAccum(If)v ; glClear(I)v ; glClearColor(ffff)v ;"}
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34
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35 Symbolic names are resolved using the library specified by \code{libnames} using \code{\link{dynfind}} for loading.
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36 For each function, a thin call wrapper function is created using the following template:
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37
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38 \preformatted{ function(...) .dyncall.<MODE> ( <TARGET>, <SIGNATURE>, ... ) }
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39
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40 \code{<MODE>} is replaced by \code{callmode} argument, see \code{\link{.dyncall}} for details on calling conventions.
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41 \code{<TARGET>} is replaced by the external pointer, resolved by the \sQuote{function-name}.
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42 \code{<SIGNATURE>} is replaced by the call signature string contained in \code{signature}.
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43
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44 The call wrapper is installed in the environment given by \code{envir}.
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45 The assignment name is obtained from the function signature.
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46 If \code{pat} and \code{replace} is given, a text replacement is applied to the name before assignment, useful for basic C name space mangling such as exchanging the prefix.
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47
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48 As a special case, \code{dynbind} supports binding of pointer-to-function variables, indicated by setting \code{funcptr} to \code{TRUE}, in which case \code{<TARGET>}
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49 is replaced with the expression \code{.unpack(<TARGET>,"p",0)} in order to dereference \code{<TARGET>} as a pointer-to-function variable at call-time.
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50 }
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51
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52 \value{
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53 The function returns a list with two fields:
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54 \item{libhandle}{External pointer returned by \code{\link{.dynload}}.}
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55 \item{unresolved.symbols}{vector of character strings, the names of unresolved symbols.}
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56
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57 As a side effect, for each wrapper, \code{dynbind} assigns the \sQuote{function-name} to the corresponding call wrapper function in the environment given by \code{envir}.
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58
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59 If no shared library is found, an error is reported.
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60 }
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61 \examples{
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62 \donttest{
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63 # Install two wrappers to functions of the R shared C library.
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64 info <- dynbind("R","
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65 R_ShowMessage(Z)v;
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66 R_rsort(pi)v;
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67 ")
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68 R_ShowMessage("hello")
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69 }
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70 }
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71 \seealso{
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72 \code{\link{.dyncall}} for details on call signatures and calling conventions,
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73 \code{\link{dynfind}} for details on short library names,
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74 \code{\link{.unpack}} for details on reading low-level memory (e.g. dereferencing of (function) pointer variables).
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75 }
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76 \keyword{programming}
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77 \keyword{interface}
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78
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