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<title>The Basics (libffi: the portable foreign function interface library)</title>

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<h3 class="section" id="The-Basics-1"><span>2.1 The Basics<a class="copiable-link" href="#The-Basics-1"> &para;</a></span></h3>

<p><code class="code">libffi</code> assumes that you have a pointer to the function you wish
to call and that you know the number and types of arguments to pass
it, as well as the return type of the function.
</p>
<p>The first thing you must do is create an <code class="code">ffi_cif</code> object that
matches the signature of the function you wish to call.  This is a
separate step because it is common to make multiple calls using a
single <code class="code">ffi_cif</code>.  The <em class="dfn">cif</em> in <code class="code">ffi_cif</code> stands for
Call InterFace.  To prepare a call interface object, use the function
<code class="code">ffi_prep_cif</code>.
<a class="index-entry-id" id="index-cif"></a>
</p>
<a class="index-entry-id" id="index-ffi_005fprep_005fcif"></a>
<dl class="first-deffn first-defun-alias-first-deffn">
<dt class="deffn defun-alias-deffn" id="index-ffi_005fstatus"><span class="category-def">Function: </span><span><strong class="def-name">ffi_status</strong> <var class="def-var-arguments">ffi_prep_cif (ffi_cif *<var class="var">cif</var>, ffi_abi <var class="var">abi</var>, unsigned int <var class="var">nargs</var>, ffi_type *<var class="var">rtype</var>, ffi_type **<var class="var">argtypes</var>)</var><a class="copiable-link" href="#index-ffi_005fstatus"> &para;</a></span></dt>
<dd><p>This initializes <var class="var">cif</var> according to the given parameters.
</p>
<p><var class="var">abi</var> is the ABI to use; normally <code class="code">FFI_DEFAULT_ABI</code> is what
you want.  <a class="ref" href="Multiple-ABIs.html">Multiple ABIs</a> for more information.
</p>
<p><var class="var">nargs</var> is the number of arguments that this function accepts.
</p>
<p><var class="var">rtype</var> is a pointer to an <code class="code">ffi_type</code> structure that
describes the return type of the function.  See <a class="xref" href="Types.html">Types</a>.
</p>
<p><var class="var">argtypes</var> is a vector of <code class="code">ffi_type</code> pointers.
<var class="var">argtypes</var> must have <var class="var">nargs</var> elements.  If <var class="var">nargs</var> is 0,
this argument is ignored.
</p>
<p><code class="code">ffi_prep_cif</code> returns a <code class="code">libffi</code> status code, of type
<code class="code">ffi_status</code>.  This will be either <code class="code">FFI_OK</code> if everything
worked properly; <code class="code">FFI_BAD_TYPEDEF</code> if one of the <code class="code">ffi_type</code>
objects is incorrect; or <code class="code">FFI_BAD_ABI</code> if the <var class="var">abi</var> parameter
is invalid.
</p></dd></dl>

<p>If the function being called is variadic (varargs) then
<code class="code">ffi_prep_cif_var</code> must be used instead of <code class="code">ffi_prep_cif</code>.
</p>
<a class="index-entry-id" id="index-ffi_005fprep_005fcif_005fvar"></a>
<dl class="first-deffn first-defun-alias-first-deffn">
<dt class="deffn defun-alias-deffn" id="index-ffi_005fstatus-1"><span class="category-def">Function: </span><span><strong class="def-name">ffi_status</strong> <var class="def-var-arguments">ffi_prep_cif_var (ffi_cif *<var class="var">cif</var>, ffi_abi <var class="var">abi</var>, unsigned int <var class="var">nfixedargs</var>, unsigned int <var class="var">ntotalargs</var>, ffi_type *<var class="var">rtype</var>, ffi_type **<var class="var">argtypes</var>)</var><a class="copiable-link" href="#index-ffi_005fstatus-1"> &para;</a></span></dt>
<dd><p>This initializes <var class="var">cif</var> according to the given parameters for
a call to a variadic function.  In general its operation is the
same as for <code class="code">ffi_prep_cif</code> except that:
</p>
<p><var class="var">nfixedargs</var> is the number of fixed arguments, prior to any
variadic arguments.  It must be greater than zero.
</p>
<p><var class="var">ntotalargs</var> the total number of arguments, including variadic
and fixed arguments.  <var class="var">argtypes</var> must have this many elements.
</p>
<p><code class="code">ffi_prep_cif_var</code> will return <code class="code">FFI_BAD_ARGTYPE</code> if any of
the variable argument types are <code class="code">ffi_type_float</code> (promote to
<code class="code">ffi_type_double</code> first), or any integer type small than an int
(promote to an int-sized type first).
</p>
<p>Note that, different cif&rsquo;s must be prepped for calls to the same
function when different numbers of arguments are passed.
</p>
<p>Also note that a call to <code class="code">ffi_prep_cif_var</code> with
<var class="var">nfixedargs</var>=<var class="var">nototalargs</var> is NOT equivalent to a call to
<code class="code">ffi_prep_cif</code>.
</p>
</dd></dl>

<p>Note that the resulting <code class="code">ffi_cif</code> holds pointers to all the
<code class="code">ffi_type</code> objects that were used during initialization.  You
must ensure that these type objects have a lifetime at least as long
as that of the <code class="code">ffi_cif</code>.
</p>
<p>To call a function using an initialized <code class="code">ffi_cif</code>, use the
<code class="code">ffi_call</code> function:
</p>
<a class="index-entry-id" id="index-ffi_005fcall"></a>
<dl class="first-deffn first-defun-alias-first-deffn">
<dt class="deffn defun-alias-deffn" id="index-void"><span class="category-def">Function: </span><span><strong class="def-name">void</strong> <var class="def-var-arguments">ffi_call (ffi_cif *<var class="var">cif</var>, void *<var class="var">fn</var>, void *<var class="var">rvalue</var>, void **<var class="var">avalues</var>)</var><a class="copiable-link" href="#index-void"> &para;</a></span></dt>
<dd><p>This calls the function <var class="var">fn</var> according to the description given in
<var class="var">cif</var>.  <var class="var">cif</var> must have already been prepared using
<code class="code">ffi_prep_cif</code>.
</p>
<p><var class="var">rvalue</var> is a pointer to a chunk of memory that will hold the
result of the function call.  This must be large enough to hold the
result, no smaller than the system register size (generally 32 or 64
bits), and must be suitably aligned; it is the caller&rsquo;s responsibility
to ensure this.  If <var class="var">cif</var> declares that the function returns
<code class="code">void</code> (using <code class="code">ffi_type_void</code>), then <var class="var">rvalue</var> is
ignored.
</p>
<p>In most situations, <code class="code">libffi</code> will handle promotion according to
the ABI.  However, for historical reasons, there is a special case
with return values that must be handled by your code.  In particular,
for integral (not <code class="code">struct</code>) types that are narrower than the
system register size, the return value will be widened by
<code class="code">libffi</code>.  <code class="code">libffi</code> provides a type, <code class="code">ffi_arg</code>, that
can be used as the return type.  For example, if the CIF was defined
with a return type of <code class="code">char</code>, <code class="code">libffi</code> will try to store a
full <code class="code">ffi_arg</code> into the return value.
</p>
<p><var class="var">avalues</var> is a vector of <code class="code">void *</code> pointers that point to the
memory locations holding the argument values for a call.  If <var class="var">cif</var>
declares that the function has no arguments (i.e., <var class="var">nargs</var> was 0),
then <var class="var">avalues</var> is ignored.
</p>
<p>Note that while the return value must be register-sized, arguments
should exactly match their declared type.  For example, if an argument
is a <code class="code">short</code>, then the entry in <var class="var">avalues</var> should point to an
object declared as <code class="code">short</code>; but if the return type is
<code class="code">short</code>, then <var class="var">rvalue</var> should point to an object declared as
a larger type &ndash; usually <code class="code">ffi_arg</code>.
</p></dd></dl>


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