[PPL-devel] pointer "ownership" in the C API?

[Basile Starynkevitch]

Hello All,

A newbie question regarding the C API. What is the pointer ownership
convention, and where could I find tiny examples or tests of the C API of
PPL?

So, I made a ppl_Coefficient_t (let's call it k) using ppl_new_Coefficient_from_mpz_t. [BTW,
perhaps a ppl_new_Coefficient_from_long_long or a
ppl_new_Coefficient_from_int32 might be useful]

Then I am filling a ppl_Linear_Expression_t (let's call it l) using ppl_Linear_Expression_add_to_coefficient with the same coeffiient k.

Should I explicitly delete by calling ppl_delete_Coefficient(k), or is k now "owned" by l and not available anymore? 

Could I use twice the same k in different calls to ppl_Linear_Expression_add_to_coefficient?

I would suppose that PPL use a refcounting scheme as its memory management
(or garbage collection) scheme. Is it correct? Who/when are the refcounters
incremented & decremented? Is there a C API to e.g. force incrementation of
the refcounter (like GTK has)?




BTW, a more general question is about the philosophy of memory management in
PPL, especially when interfacing PPL to some language. Since my GCC MELT can
be percieved as some language (the MELT lisp dialect) with its runtime (the
MELT garbage collector, above the GGC inside GCC), I could view the
interfacing of PPL inside MELT as a language binding of
PPL.

In particular, detailed explanation of Ocaml binding to PPL is welcome,
since I happen to know quite well Ocaml (and the C coding rules required by
its runtime).

Again, apologies for asking such questions (whose answers are probably
inside PPL source code).

Regards
-- 
Basile STARYNKEVITCH         http://starynkevitch.net/Basile/
email: basile<at>starynkevitch<dot>net mobile: +33 6 8501 2359
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*** opinions {are only mines, sont seulement les miennes} ***