--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/R/rdyncall/man/utils.Rd	Thu Mar 19 22:26:28 2015 +0100
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+\name{utils}
+\alias{is.nullptr}
+\alias{as.extptr}
+\alias{is.externalptr}
+\alias{floatraw}
+\alias{as.floatraw}
+\alias{floatraw2numeric}
+\alias{ptr2str}
+\alias{strarrayptr}
+\alias{strptr}
+\alias{offsetPtr}
+\title{Utility functions for working with foreign C data types}
+\description{Functions for low-level operations on C pointers as well as
+helper functions and objects to handle C \code{float} arrays and strings.}
+\usage{
+is.nullptr(x)
+as.extptr(x)
+is.externalptr(x)
+floatraw(n)
+as.floatraw(x)
+floatraw2numeric(x)
+ptr2str(x)
+strarrayptr(x)
+strptr(x)
+offsetPtr(x, offset)
+}
+\arguments{
+\item{x}{an R object.}
+\item{n}{number of elements to allocate.}
+\item{offset}{a offset given in bytes.}
+}
+\details{
+
+\code{is.nullptr} tests if the external pointer given by \code{x} represents a C \code{NULL} pointer.
+
+\code{as.extptr} returns an external pointer to the data area of atomic
+vector given by \code{x}. The external pointer holds an additional reference 
+to the \code{x} R object to prevent it from garbage collection.
+
+\code{is.externalptr} tests if the object given by \code{x} is an external pointer.
+
+\code{floatraw} creates an array with a capacity to store \code{n} single-precision C \code{float} values.
+The array is implemented via a \code{\link[base]{raw}} vector.
+
+\code{as.floatraw} coerces a numeric vector into a single-precision C \code{float} vector.
+Values given by \code{x} are converted to C \code{float} values and stored in the R raw vector via \code{.pack}. 
+This function is useful when calling foreign functions  that expeect a C \code{float} pointer via \code{\link{.dyncall}}.
+
+\code{floatraw2numeric} coerces a C \code{float} (raw) vector to a numeric vector.
+
+\code{ptr2str}, \code{strarrayptr}, \code{strptr} are currently experimental.
+
+\code{offsetPtr} creates a new external pointer pointing to \code{x} plus the byte \code{offset}.
+If \code{x} is given as an external pointer, the address is increased by the \code{offset},
+or, if \code{x} is given as a atomic vector, the address of the data (pointing to offset zero) is taken as basis
+and increased by the \code{offset}.
+The returned external pointer is protected (as offered by the C function \code{R_MakeExternalPtr}) by the external pointer \code{x}.
+}
+\value{
+A logical value is returned by \code{is.nullptr} and \code{is.externalptr}.
+\code{as.extptr} returns an external pointer value.
+\code{floatraw} and \code{as.floatraw} return an atomic vector of type \code{raw}
+tagged with class \code{'floatraw'}.
+\code{floatraw2numeric} returns a \code{numeric} atomic vector.
+}
+\keyword{programming}
+\keyword{interface}