C++ CFFI interaction

[Ralf Mattes]

On Sun, Jun 05, 2016 at 03:39:38PM -0700, Drew C wrote:
> I use cl-autowrap[1], which uses c2ffi[2] to create "definitions from C,
> C++, and Objective C headers for use with foreign function call interfaces".
> 
> it uses CFFI-SYS, and I have only tested it out using C++ libs, 

That's interesting, coul you elaborate a bit?
I was under the impression that such a straight ffi would be impossible (thanks to
C++'s name mangling). I on't see how c2ffi can cope with the following valid C++:

|----------------[ file: foo.h ]-------------------------------------------

 int do_something(int input);

 int do_something(char *input);

|--------------------------------------------------------------------------

And, indeed, my fresh checkout of c2ffi complaints bitterly :-/
The next problem would be the fact that the output of C++ compilers still isn't really
ABI-compatible.

> but it
> should work for most things most of the time. I am not sure if it is the
> best way, but, I did it my way[3].

The only real working wrapper for C++ libs (Qt4) are the wrappers based on KDE projects
smoke based binings. But those need "auto"[1]-generated wrapper libraries ... 
So, to wrap your own libraries you'd need to generate smoke wrappers. Doable but not 
simple.

 HTH Ralf Mattes

[1] For a very broad definition of "auto"


> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Drew Crampsie
> 
> [1] https://github.com/rpav/cl-autowrap
> [2] https://github.com/rpav/c2ffi
> [3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIXg9KUiy00
> 
> On Sun, Jun 5, 2016 at 1:56 PM, Antoniotti Marco <
> antoniotti.marco at disco.unimib.it> wrote:
> 
> > Hi
> >
> > I just spent a bit of time looking for this, i.e., how to get a CFFI for a
> > C++ library, but at this point I am not so sure about the best way to go
> > about this.
> >
> > What is the wisdom of the list on the subject?
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > Marco
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Marco Antoniotti, Associate Professor                   tel.    +39 - 02
> > 64 48 79 01
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> >
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