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      ForeignFunctionInterfaceSyntax
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MLton extends the syntax of SML with expressions that enable a <a href="ForeignFunctionInterface">ForeignFunctionInterface</a> to C.  The following description of the syntax uses some abbreviations. 
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<table>
<tr>
<td>
 C base type </td>
<td>
 <em>cBaseTy</em> </td>
<td>
 <a href="ForeignFunctionInterfaceTypes"> Foreign Function Interface types</a> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
 C argument type </td>
<td>
 <em>cArgTy</em> </td>
<td>
 <em>cBaseTy</em><sub>1</sub><tt>&nbsp;*&nbsp;</tt>...<tt>&nbsp;*&nbsp;</tt><em>cBaseTy</em><sub>n</sub> or <tt>unit</tt> </td>
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<td>
 C return type </td>
<td>
 <em>cRetTy</em> </td>
<td>
 <em>cBaseTy</em> or <tt>unit</tt> </td>
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<tr>
<td>
 C function type </td>
<td>
 <em>cFuncTy</em> </td>
<td>
 <em>cArgTy</em><tt>&nbsp;-&gt;&nbsp;</tt><em>cRetTy</em> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
 C pointer type </td>
<td>
 <em>cPtrTy</em> </td>
<td>
 <tt>MLton.Pointer.t</tt> </td>
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<p>
The type annotation and the semicolon are not optional in the syntax of <a href="ForeignFunctionInterface">ForeignFunctionInterface</a> expressions.  However, the type is lexed, parsed, and elaborated as an SML type, so any type (including type abbreviations) may be used, so long as it elaborates to a type of the correct form. 
</p>
<h2 id="head-d70f93df5e8f9b55be44fbeee9d203972e3383d4">Address</h2>

<pre>_address "C function or variable name" : cPtrTy;
</pre><p>
Denotes the address of the C function or variable. 
</p>
<h2 id="head-3f84ef531f9db996694ad09a8fdddbca1440577e">Symbol</h2>

<pre>_symbol "C variable name" attr... : (unit -&gt; cBaseTy) * (cBaseTy -&gt; unit);
</pre><p>
Denotes the <em>getter</em> and <em>setter</em> for a C variable.   The <em>cBaseTy</em>s must be identical. 
</p>
<p>
<tt>attr...</tt> denotes a (possibly empty) sequence of attributes. 
</p>

    <ul>

    <li>
<p>
 <tt>alloc</tt> : allocate storage (and export a symbol) for the C variable 
</p>
</li>

    </ul>



<pre>_symbol * : cPtrTy -&gt; (unit -&gt; cBaseTy) * (cBaseTy -&gt; unit);
</pre><p>
Denotes the <em>getter</em> and <em>setter</em> for a C pointer to a variable. The <em>cBaseTy</em>s must be identical. 
</p>
<h2 id="head-d6fbc9d2bdd580e18ed0bc5805dc26db323d6f5f">Import</h2>

<pre>_import "CFunctionName" attr... : cFuncTy;
</pre><p>
Denotes an SML function whose behavior is implemented by calling the C function.  See <a href="CallingFromSMLToC"> Calling from SML to C</a> for more details. 
</p>

<pre>_import * attr... : cPtrTy -&gt; cFuncTy;
</pre><p>
Denotes a SML function whose behavior is implemented by calling a C function through a C function pointer. 
</p>
<p>
<tt>attr...</tt> denotes a (possibly empty) sequence of attributes. 
</p>

    <ul>

    <li>
<p>
 <tt>cdecl</tt> : call with the <tt>cdecl</tt> calling convention. 
</p>
</li>
    <li>
<p>
 <tt>stdcall</tt> : call with the <tt>stdcall</tt> calling convention. 
</p>
</li>

    </ul>


<p>
See <a href="CallingFromSMLToCFunctionPointer"> Calling from SML to C function pointer</a> for more details. 
</p>
<h2 id="head-f3e4fadb9e370a1e2c0c622c01fc8c77daf93a2c">Export</h2>

<pre>_export "CFunctionName" attr... : cFuncTy -&gt; unit;
</pre><p>
Exports a C function with the name <tt>CFunctionName</tt> that can be used to call an SML function of the type <em>cFuncTy</em>. When the function denoted by the export expression is applied to an SML function <tt>f</tt>, subsequent C calls to <tt>CFunctionName</tt> will call <tt>f</tt>.  It is an error to call <tt>CFunctionName</tt> before the export has been applied.  The export may be applied more than once, with each application replacing any previous definition of <tt>CFunctionName</tt>. 
</p>
<p>
<tt>attr...</tt> denotes a (possibly empty) sequence of attributes. 
</p>

    <ul>

    <li>
<p>
 <tt>cdecl</tt> : call with the <tt>cdecl</tt> calling convention. 
</p>
</li>
    <li>
<p>
 <tt>stdcall</tt> : call with the <tt>stdcall</tt> calling convention. 
</p>
</li>

    </ul>


<p>
See <a href="CallingFromCToSML"> Calling from C to SML</a> for more details. 
</p>
</div>



<p>
<hr>
Last edited on 2005-12-01 04:25:23 by <span title="ppp-71-139-183-221.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net"><a href="StephenWeeks">StephenWeeks</a></span>.
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