NAME

embed.pod - Parrot embedding system

SYNOPSIS

    #include "parrot/embed.h"

    int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
        Parrot_Interp interp;
        Parrot_PackFile pf;
        char *bcfile="program.pbc";

        argc--; argv++; /* skip the program name */

        interp=Parrot_new(0);
        Parrot_init(interp);

        if(PARROT_JIT_CAPABLE) {
            Parrot_set_run_core(interp, PARROT_JIT_CORE);  /* activate JIT */
        }

        pf=Parrot_readbc(interp, bcfile);
        Parrot_loadbc(interp, pf);

        Parrot_runcode(interp, argc, argv); /* argc and argv as seen by the bytecode file */

        Parrot_destroy(interp);

        return 0;
    }

FILES

include/parrot/embed.h
embed.c

DESCRIPTION

Parrot's embedding system is designed with one guiding principle in mind: encapsulation. Users of Parrot shouldn't have to know what the insides of a Parrot_Interp structure look like or how to load a packfile. They should just know a few functions and constants. The embedding system is designed to do just that.

Data Structures

Parrot_Interp: This typedef represents (a pointer to) an actual Parrot interpreter.
Parrot_PackFile: This structure represents (a pointer to) a 'packfile'--a Parrot bytecode file.
Parrot_Interp_flag: An interpreter flag.
Parrot_Interp_flag_val: The value passed in with an interpreter flag. Unused at the moment--just pass in NULL.
Parrot_Int
Parrot_UInt
Parrot_Float
Parrot_Opcode: Various Parrot internal types; most are chosen at Configure time.

Constants

interpreter core setting is done by a call of Parrot_set_run_core() like:

  Parrot_set_run_core(interp, PARROT_JIT_CORE);

See /include/parrot/interpreter.h for a list of available cores beside PARROT_PREDEREF_CORE, PARROT_JIT_CORE.

PARROT_PREDEREF_CORE: This flag turns on predereferencing. Parrot will transform many offsets in the opcode stream to absolute pointers.
PARROT_JIT_CORE: This flag turns on just-in-time compilation. Parrot will convert the bytecode file into native machine code and run it, usually resulting in substantial speedup.

Interpreter flags setting is done by a call of Parrot_set_flag() like>:

    Parrot_set_flag(interp, PARROT_TRACE_FLAG, NULL);

See /include/parrot/interpreter.h for an up to date list.

PARROT_DEBUG_FLAG: This flag turns on debugging mode. Debugging mode basically means that Parrot's core prints out diagnostic messages. This flag does not take any parameters.
PARROT_TRACE_FLAG: This flag turns on opcode tracing. Parrot will print out each opcode and the parameters passed to it as it is called. This flag does not take any parameters.
PARROT_BOUNDS_FLAG: This flag turns on bounds checking. Parrot will make sure that all addresses returned by an opcode function are within the boundaries of the bytecode block. This flag does not take any parameters.
PARROT_PROFILE_FLAG: This flag turns on profiling. Parrot will print out a list of each opcode called, the number of times it was called, the average time it took to run, and the total time it took over the life of the program. This flag does not take any parameters.
PARROT_THR_TYPE_1, PARROT_THR_TYPE_2, PARROT_THR_TYPE_3: This flags control the threading behavior. With PARROT_THR_TYPE_1, threads runs without sharing variables and do not communicate, With PARROT_THR_TYPE_2, threads shares no variables and communicate by sending messages. With PARROT_THR_TYPE_3, threads share variables. See t/pmc/threads.t for examples.

Other constants:

PARROT_VERSION: This constant contains a string representation of Parrot's version number.
PARROT_MAJOR_VERSION: This constant contains the first part of Parrot's version number.
PARROT_MINOR_VERSION: This constant contains the second part of Parrot's version number.
PARROT_PATCH_VERSION: This constant contains the third part of Parrot's version number.
PARROT_CONFIG_DATE: This constant contains the date that Configure was run to generate config.h.
PARROT_JIT_CAPABLE: This constant is true if Parrot supports JIT on this platform, false otherwise.
PARROT_ARCHNAME: This constant contains a string representation of the Parrot JIT's name for the current architecture.
PARROT_CPU_ARCH: This constant contains the name of your processor (as the JIT sees it).
PARROT_OS_NAME: This constant contains the name of your operating system (as the JIT sees it).

Functions

Parrot_Interp Parrot_new(Parrot_Interp parent): Allocates and returns a new Parrot interpreter. parent is NULL for the main interpreter that will be destroyed last.
void Parrot_init(Parrot_Interp): Initializes a Parrot interpreter.
void Parrot_setflag(Parrot_Interp, Parrot_Interp_flag, Parrot_Interp_flag_val): Sets a flag in the Parrot interpreter.
Parrot_PackFile Parrot_readbc(Parrot_Interp, char *filename): Reads in a bytecode file and returns a packfile structure for it.
void Parrot_loadbc(Parrot_Interp, Parrot_PackFile): Loads a packfile into a Parrot interpreter.
void Parrot_runcode(Parrot_Interp, int argc, char *argv[]): Runs the bytecode associated with a Parrot interpreter. argc and argv are the parameters the bytecode should receive.
Parrot_destroy(Parrot_Interp): Deallocates all memory associated with a Parrot interpreter.; XXX At the moment, it just leaks most of it.

parrotcode: Parrot embedding system
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