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green	3ab5cb4	1998-11-29 16:56:10 +0000	[diff] [blame]	1	<html>
green	334f0b0	1998-11-29 16:56:12 +0000	[diff] [blame]	2	<head>
				3	<title>
				4	libffi
				5	</title>
				6	</head>
jsm	bfb73f0	1998-11-30 10:44:55 +0000	[diff] [blame]	7	<body>
green	334f0b0	1998-11-29 16:56:12 +0000	[diff] [blame]	8
				9	<h1>The libffi Home Page</h1>
				10
green	af8b7f0	1998-11-30 06:20:05 +0000	[diff] [blame]	11	<b>libffi-1.20</b> was released on October 5, 1998. You can ftp it
				12	from <a
				13	href="ftp://ftp.cygnus.com:/pub/green/libffi-1.20.tar.gz">ftp.cygnus.com:/pub/green/libffi-1.20.tar.gz</a>.
				14	However, newer code is available. See below for details.
green	334f0b0	1998-11-29 16:56:12 +0000	[diff] [blame]	15
				16	<p>
green	af8b7f0	1998-11-30 06:20:05 +0000	[diff] [blame]	17
				18	libffi is free software. It has a very <a
				19	href="http://sourceware.cygnus.com/cgi-bin/cvsweb.cgi/~checkout~/libffi/LICENSE?rev=1.1&cvsroot=libffi&hideattic=1&sortbydate=0">liberal
				20	license</a>.
green	334f0b0	1998-11-29 16:56:12 +0000	[diff] [blame]	21
				22	<h2>What is libffi?</h2>
				23
jsm	b4d77e8	1998-11-30 11:11:25 +0000	[diff] [blame^]	24	Compilers for high level languages generate code that follows certain
green	334f0b0	1998-11-29 16:56:12 +0000	[diff] [blame]	25	conventions. These conventions are necessary, in part, for separate
				26	compilation to work. One such convention is the "calling
green	af8b7f0	1998-11-30 06:20:05 +0000	[diff] [blame]	27	convention". The "calling convention" is a set of assumptions made by
				28	the compiler about where function arguments will be found on entry to
				29	a function. A "calling convention" also specifies where the return
				30	value for a function is found.
green	334f0b0	1998-11-29 16:56:12 +0000	[diff] [blame]	31
				32	<p>
				33
				34	Some programs may not know at the time of compilation what arguments
				35	are to be passed to a function. For instance, an interpreter may be
				36	told at run-time about the number and types of arguments used to call
				37	a given function. Libffi can be used in such programs to provide a
				38	bridge from the interpreter program to compiled code.
				39
				40	<p>
				41
				42	The libffi library provides a portable, high level programming
				43	interface to various calling conventions. This allows a programmer to
green	af8b7f0	1998-11-30 06:20:05 +0000	[diff] [blame]	44	call any function specified by a call interface description at
				45	run-time.
green	334f0b0	1998-11-29 16:56:12 +0000	[diff] [blame]	46
				47	<p>
				48
				49	Ffi stands for Foreign Function Interface. A foreign function
				50	interface is the popular name for the interface that allows code
				51	written in one language to call code written in another language. The
				52	libffi library really only provides the lowest, machine dependent
				53	layer of a fully featured foreign function interface. A layer must
				54	exist above libffi that handles type conversions for values passed
				55	between the two languages.
				56
green	af8b7f0	1998-11-30 06:20:05 +0000	[diff] [blame]	57	<h2>Supported Platforms</h2>
green	334f0b0	1998-11-29 16:56:12 +0000	[diff] [blame]	58
				59	Libffi has been ported to:
				60
				61	<ul>
jsm	bfb73f0	1998-11-30 10:44:55 +0000	[diff] [blame]	62	<li> SunOS 4.1.3 & Solaris 2.x (Sparc v8)
				63	<li> Irix 5.3 & 6.2 (System V/o32 & n32)
green	334f0b0	1998-11-29 16:56:12 +0000	[diff] [blame]	64	<li> Intel x86 - Linux (System V ABI)
				65	<li> Alpha Linux and OSF/1
				66	<li> m68k - Linux (System V ABI)
				67	<li> PowerPC - Linux (System V ABI)
				68	<li> ARM - Linux (System V ABI)
				69	</ul>
				70
green	af8b7f0	1998-11-30 06:20:05 +0000	[diff] [blame]	71	Libffi has been tested with the <a
				72	href="http://www.cygnus.com/egcs/">egcs</a> 1.0.2 gcc
				73	compiler. Chances are that other versions will work. Libffi has also
				74	been built and tested with the SGI compiler tools.
green	334f0b0	1998-11-29 16:56:12 +0000	[diff] [blame]	75
				76	If you port libffi to another platform, please let me know! I assume
				77	that some will be easy (x86 NetBSD), and others will be more difficult
				78	(HP, AIX).
				79
green	af8b7f0	1998-11-30 06:20:05 +0000	[diff] [blame]	80	<h2>How to get it</h2>
green	334f0b0	1998-11-29 16:56:12 +0000	[diff] [blame]	81
jsm	bfb73f0	1998-11-30 10:44:55 +0000	[diff] [blame]	82	You can download the latest version from <a href="ftp://ftp.cygnus.com/pub/green/">ftp.cygnus.com:/pub/green/</a>.
green	af8b7f0	1998-11-30 06:20:05 +0000	[diff] [blame]	83
				84	<p>
				85
				86	You can also check out the very latest version via anonymous cvs.
				87	Here's how:
green	334f0b0	1998-11-29 16:56:12 +0000	[diff] [blame]	88	<pre>
green	af8b7f0	1998-11-30 06:20:05 +0000	[diff] [blame]	89	cvs -d :pserver:anoncvs@sourceware.cygnus.com:/cvs/libffi login
				90	(password is ``anoncvs'')
				91	cvs -d :pserver:anoncvs@sourceware.cygnus.com:/cvs/libffi co libffi
green	334f0b0	1998-11-29 16:56:12 +0000	[diff] [blame]	92	</pre>
				93
green	af8b7f0	1998-11-30 06:20:05 +0000	[diff] [blame]	94	Once you have it checked out, you can update it with <tt>cvs update</tt>.
green	334f0b0	1998-11-29 16:56:12 +0000	[diff] [blame]	95
green	334f0b0	1998-11-29 16:56:12 +0000	[diff] [blame]	96	<p>
green	af8b7f0	1998-11-30 06:20:05 +0000	[diff] [blame]	97
				98	You can also <a
				99	href="http://sourceware.cygnus.com/cgi-bin/cvsweb.cgi/libffi/?cvsroot=libffi">
				100	view the cvs archive</a> via cvsweb.
				101
				102	<h2>Mailing lists</h2>
				103
				104	For such a small piece of software, there are plenty of mailing lists
				105	available.
				106
				107	<ul>
				108	<li><tt>libffi-announce</tt> is a low volume mailing list for libffi release announcements
				109	<li><tt>libffi-discuss</tt> is a mailing list for asking questions, reporting bugs, etc.
				110	</ul>
				111
				112	<p>To subscribe to the <code>libffi-announce</code> mailing list, enter your
				113	e-mail address:
jsm	bfb73f0	1998-11-30 10:44:55 +0000	[diff] [blame]	114	<form method="get" action="/cgi-bin/subscribe">
				115	<input type="hidden" name="listname" value="libffi-announce">
				116	<input type="text" name="username" size="16"> <input type="Submit" name="submi
				117	t" value="Sign me up!">
green	af8b7f0	1998-11-30 06:20:05 +0000	[diff] [blame]	118	</form>
				119
				120	<br>To subscribe to the <code>libffi-discuss</code> mailing list, enter your
				121	e-mail address:
jsm	bfb73f0	1998-11-30 10:44:55 +0000	[diff] [blame]	122	<form method="get" action="/cgi-bin/subscribe">
				123	<input type="hidden" name="listname" value="libffi-discuss">
				124	<input type="text" name="username" size="16"> <input type="Submit" name="submi
				125	t" value="Sign me up!">
green	af8b7f0	1998-11-30 06:20:05 +0000	[diff] [blame]	126	</form>
				127
				128	<p>
				129
				130	<h2>Authors and Credits</h2>
				131
jsm	bfb73f0	1998-11-30 10:44:55 +0000	[diff] [blame]	132	Libffi was written by <a href="http://www.cygnus.com/~green/"><b>Anthony Green</b></a>.
green	af8b7f0	1998-11-30 06:20:05 +0000	[diff] [blame]	133
				134	<ul>
				135	<li> Portions of libffi were derived from <b>Gianni Mariani</b>'s free gencall
green	334f0b0	1998-11-29 16:56:12 +0000	[diff] [blame]	136	library for Silicon Graphics machines.
green	af8b7f0	1998-11-30 06:20:05 +0000	[diff] [blame]	137	<li> The sparc port was derived from code contributed by the fine folks at
green	334f0b0	1998-11-29 16:56:12 +0000	[diff] [blame]	138	<b><a href="http://www.vdi.com">Visible Decisions Inc</a></b>. Further enhancements were made by <b>Gordon Irlam</b> at <a href="http://www.cygnus.com">Cygnus Solutions</a>.
green	af8b7f0	1998-11-30 06:20:05 +0000	[diff] [blame]	139	<li>The Alpha port was written by <b>Richard Henderson</b> at Cygnus Solutions.
				140	<li><b>Andreas Schwab</b> ported libffi to m68k Linux and provided a number of
green	334f0b0	1998-11-29 16:56:12 +0000	[diff] [blame]	141	bug fixes.
green	af8b7f0	1998-11-30 06:20:05 +0000	[diff] [blame]	142	<li><b>Geoffrey Keating</b> ported libffi to the PowerPC.
				143	<li><b>Raffaele Sena</b> ported libffi to the ARM.
				144	<li><b>Jesper Skov</b> and <b>Andrew Haley</b> both did more than their fair share of
green	334f0b0	1998-11-29 16:56:12 +0000	[diff] [blame]	145	stepping through the code and tracking down bugs.
green	af8b7f0	1998-11-30 06:20:05 +0000	[diff] [blame]	146	<li>
green	334f0b0	1998-11-29 16:56:12 +0000	[diff] [blame]	147	Thanks to <b>Tom Tromey</b> for bug fixes and configuration help.
green	af8b7f0	1998-11-30 06:20:05 +0000	[diff] [blame]	148	<li>
green	334f0b0	1998-11-29 16:56:12 +0000	[diff] [blame]	149	Thanks also to <b>Jim Blandy</b>, who provided some useful feedback on the libffi
				150	interface.
green	af8b7f0	1998-11-30 06:20:05 +0000	[diff] [blame]	151	</ul>
green	334f0b0	1998-11-29 16:56:12 +0000	[diff] [blame]	152	<p>
				153	If you have a problem, or have found a bug, please send a note to
green	af8b7f0	1998-11-30 06:20:05 +0000	[diff] [blame]	154	<a href="mailto:libffi-discuss@cygnus.com">libffi-discuss@cygnus.com</a> or
				155	to me directly (<a href="mailto:green@cygnus.com">green@cygnus.com</a>).
green	334f0b0	1998-11-29 16:56:12 +0000	[diff] [blame]	156
				157	</body>
				158	</html>