diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'libiberty/libiberty.texi')
| -rw-r--r-- | libiberty/libiberty.texi | 316 |
1 files changed, 316 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/libiberty/libiberty.texi b/libiberty/libiberty.texi new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9181b0f --- /dev/null +++ b/libiberty/libiberty.texi @@ -0,0 +1,316 @@ +\input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*- +@c %**start of header +@setfilename libiberty.info +@settitle @sc{gnu} libiberty +@c %**end of header + +@syncodeindex fn cp +@syncodeindex vr cp + +@macro libib +@code{libiberty} +@end macro + +@c The edition date is written in three locations. Search for 'thedate'. +@ifinfo +This manual describes the GNU @libib library of utility subroutines. +This edition accompanies GCC 3, September 2001. + +Copyright @copyright{} 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc. + + Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document + under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 + or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; + with no Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover Texts, and with no + Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the + section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation License''. + +@ignore +Permission is granted to process this file through TeX and print the +results, provided the printed document carries a copying permission +notice identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph +(this paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual). + +@end ignore +@end ifinfo + + +@c The edition date is written in three locations. Search for 'thedate'. +@titlepage +@title @sc{gnu} libiberty +@subtitle September 2001 +@subtitle for GCC 3 +@author Phil Edwards et al. +@page + + +@vskip 0pt plus 1filll +Copyright @copyright{} 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc. + + Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document + under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 + or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; + with no Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover Texts, and with no + Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the + section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation License''. + +@end titlepage + + +@ifnottex +@node Top,Using,, +@top Introduction + +The @libib{} library is a collection of subroutines used by various +GNU programs. It is available under the Library General Public +License; for more information, see @ref{Library Copying}. + +@c The edition date is written in three locations. Search for 'thedate'. +This edition accompanies GCC 3, September 2001. + +@end ifnottex + +@menu +* Using:: How to use libiberty in your code. + +* Overview:: Overview of available function groups. + +* Functions:: Available functions, macros, and global variables. + +* Obstacks:: Object Stacks. + +* Licenses:: The various licenses under which libiberty sources are + distributed. + +* Index:: Index of functions and categories. +@end menu + +@node Using,Overview,Top,Top +@chapter Using +@cindex using libiberty +@cindex libiberty usage +@cindex how to use + +@c THIS SECTION IS CRAP AND NEEDS REWRITING BADLY. + +To date, @libib{} is generally not installed on its own. It has evolved +over years but does not have its own version number nor release schedule. + +Possibly the easiest way to use @libib{} in your projects is to drop the +@libib{} code into your project's sources, and to build the library along +with your own sources; the library would then be linked in at the end. This +prevents any possible version mismatches with other copies of libiberty +elsewhere on the system. + +Passing @option{--enable-install-libiberty} to the @command{configure} +script when building @libib{} causes the header files and archive library +to be installed when @samp{make install} is run. This option also takes +an (optional) argument to specify the installation location, in the same +manner as @option{--prefix}. + +For your own projects, an approach which offers stability and flexibility +is to include @libib{} with your code, but allow the end user to optionally +choose to use a previously-installed version instead. In this way the +user may choose (for example) to install @libib{} as part of GCC, and use +that version for all software built with that compiler. (This approach +has proven useful with software using the GNU @code{readline} library.) + +Making use of @libib{} code usually requires that you include one or more +header files from the @libib{} distribution. (They will be named as +necessary in the function descriptions.) At link time, you will need to +add @option{-liberty} to your link command invocation. + + +@node Overview,Functions,Using,Top +@chapter Overview + +Functions contained in @libib{} can be divided into three general categories. + + +@menu +* Supplemental Functions:: Providing functions which don't exist + on older operating systems. + +* Replacement Functions:: These functions are sometimes buggy or + unpredictable on some operating systems. + +* Extensions:: Functions which provide useful extensions + or safety wrappers around existing code. +@end menu + +@node Supplemental Functions,Replacement Functions,,Overview +@section Supplemental Functions +@cindex supplemental functions +@cindex functions, supplemental +@cindex functions, missing + +Certain operating systems do not provide functions which have since +become standardized, or at least common. For example, the Single +Unix Specification Version 2 requires that the @code{basename} +function be provided, but an OS which predates that specification +might not have this function. This should not prevent well-written +code from running on such a system. + +Similarly, some functions exist only among a particular ``flavor'' +or ``family'' of operating systems. As an example, the @code{bzero} +function is often not present on systems outside the BSD-derived +family of systems. + +Many such functions are provided in @libib{}. They are quickly +listed here with little description, as systems which lack them +become less and less common. Each function @var{foo} is implemented +in @file{foo.c} but not declared in any @libib{} header file; more +comments and caveats for each function's implementation are often +available in the source file. Generally, the function can simply +be declared as @code{extern}. + + + +@node Replacement Functions,Extensions,Supplemental Functions,Overview +@section Replacement Functions +@cindex replacement functions +@cindex functions, replacement + +Some functions have extremely limited implementations on different +platforms. Other functions are tedious to use correctly; for example, +proper use of @code{malloc} calls for the return value to be checked and +appropriate action taken if memory has been exhausted. A group of +``replacement functions'' is available in @libib{} to address these issues +for some of the most commonly used subroutines. + +All of these functions are declared in the @file{libiberty.h} header +file. Many of the implementations will use preprocessor macros set by +GNU Autoconf, if you decide to make use of that program. Some of these +functions may call one another. + + +@menu +* Memory Allocation:: Testing and handling failed memory + requests automatically. +* Exit Handlers:: Calling routines on program exit. +* Error Reporting:: Mapping errno and signal numbers to + more useful string formats. +@end menu + +@node Memory Allocation +@subsection Memory Allocation +@cindex memory allocation + +The functions beginning with the letter `x' are wrappers around +standard functions; the functions provided by the system environment +are called and their results checked before the results are passed back +to client code. If the standard functions fail, these wrappers will +terminate the program. Thus, these versions can be used with impunity. + + +@node Exit Handlers +@subsection Exit Handlers +@cindex exit handlers + +The existence and implementation of the @code{atexit} routine varies +amongst the flavors of Unix. @libib{} provides an unvarying dependable +implementation via @code{xatexit} and @code{xexit}. + + +@node Error Reporting +@subsection Error Reporting +@cindex error reporting + +These are a set of routines to facilitate programming with the system +@code{errno} interface. The @libib{} source file @file{strerror.c} +contains a good deal of documentation for these functions. + +@c signal stuff + + +@node Extensions,,Replacement Functions,Overview +@section Extensions +@cindex extensions +@cindex functions, extension + +@libib{} includes additional functionality above and beyond standard +functions, which has proven generically useful in GNU programs, such as +obstacks and regex. These functions are often copied from other +projects as they gain popularity, and are included here to provide a +central location from which to use, maintain, and distribute them. + +@menu +* Obstacks:: Stacks of arbitrary objects. +@end menu + + +@node Functions,Obstacks,Overview,Top +@chapter Function, Variable, and Macro Listing. +@include functions.texi + +@c This is generated from the glibc manual using a make-obstacks-texi.sh +@c script of Phil's. Hope it's accurate. +@include obstacks.texi + + +@node Licenses,Index,Obstacks,Top +@appendix Licenses + +@menu + +* Library Copying:: The GNU Libary General Public License +* BSD:: Regents of the University of California + +@end menu + +@c This takes care of Library Copying. It is the copying-lib.texi from the +@c GNU website, with its @node line altered to make makeinfo shut up. +@include copying-lib.texi + +@page +@node BSD,,,Licenses +@appendixsec BSD + +Copyright @copyright{} 1990 Regents of the University of California. +All rights reserved. + +Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without +modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions +are met: + +@enumerate + +@item +Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright +notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer. + +@item +Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright +notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the +documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution. + +@item +[rescinded 22 July 1999] + +@item +Neither the name of the University nor the names of its contributors +may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software +without specific prior written permission. + +@end enumerate + +THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE REGENTS AND CONTRIBUTORS ``AS IS'' AND +ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE +IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE +ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE REGENTS OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE +FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL +DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS +OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) +HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT +LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY +OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF +SUCH DAMAGE. + +@node Index,,Licenses,Top +@unnumbered Index + +@printindex cp + +@contents +@bye + |