Haxe-ndll: a NDLL creation utility

If you have ever tried to write a Haxe/ndll binding, you know it so much repetitive; create every Haxe wrapper class with all theirs fields with primitive calls static variables for load primitives and code the primitives with C/C++. This util will help on do it easier and faster.

Example

Before: Haxe side:

package wrapper;

#if cpp
import cpp.Lib;
#elseif neko
import neko.Lib;
#end

class Sample
{
	static var sum = Lib.load( "Simple", 'sum', 2 );

	public static function doSum( a : Int, b : Int )
	{
		return sum( a, b );
	}
}

C++ side:

#define IMPLEMENT_API
#include <hx/CFFI.h>

value sum(value a, value b)
{
    if( !val_is_int(a) || !val_is_int(b) ) return val_null;
        return alloc_int(val_int(a) + val_int(b));
}
DEFINE_PRIM( sum, 2 );

After:

package wrapper;

@:ndll(lib="Simple")
class Sample
{
	@:ndll public static function sum( a : Int, b : Int ) : Int { }
}

C++ side:

#define IMPLEMENT_API
#include "hxndll.h"

inline int wrapper_sample_sum(int a, int b)
{
    return a + b;
}
HXNDLL_DEFINE_PRIM( wrapper_sample_sum, 2 );

Tip: You can see this complete fully functional example at test/sample directory. To Run it execute next at root path (optionals between square brackets: '[' and ']'):

haxelib run hxcpp build_ndll.xml [-DHXCPP_M64]
haxe test.hxml [-D HXCPP_M64]
cd bin 
./TestMain[.exe]

Installation

To install Haxe-ndll, in command prompt run this:

haxelib install hxndll

And that's all. Ready to use.

Usage

First, you have to setup your project and there are at least 3 way to do that

In you project.hxml add:
--macro hxndll.Compiler.process(['<path/to/src>', <path/to/another/src>, ...])
Implementing hxndll.Importer each class you want to process.
It uses @:autoBuild metatdata, see http://haxe.org/manual/macros/build#autobuild for more information.
At each class you want to process add metadata:
@:build(hxndll.Transformer.build())

Personally I prefer method 1 or 3, because they leave no footprints at final code.

Finally, you must add @:ndll or @:ndll_use metadata to your class in order to proccess it. Further on you will find complete info about it here.

Tip: You only can use Haxe Ndll with classes.

Let's get down to work on Haxe classes:

###First reduction: @:ndll_import###

FFun(static, empty) -> FVar(static, w/ prim load)

FVar(static, empty) -> FVar(static, w/ prim load)

It is the easiest and simplest reduction and it is used to load a primitive. i.e.:

@:ndll_import(lib="waxe")
static function wx_window_create( args : Array ) : Dynamic { }

@:ndll(lib="waxe")
static var wx_window_create : Array -> Dynamic;

They are equivalent and produce this field:

static var wx_window_create : Array -> Dynamic = cpp.Lib.load("waxe", "wx_window_create", 1);

HxNdll helps to forget the porting tricks, you don't need to worry about them. So forget to import cpp.Lib or neko.Lib, HxNdll will do it for you depending on target.

Tip: @:ndll_import can be use with static functions or static variables.

Tip: Only with static variables, mere @:ndll means @:ndll_import

####@:ndll_import parameter list####

lib: type String, default is user defined otherwise throws an error.
Its value is some library file name (without extension ".ndll") i.e.: lib="waxe"
prefix: type String, default is user defined or autogenerated (see @:ndll_use section for more info).
Its value is first part of primitive name. i.e: "wx_window_"
name: type String, default is field name.
Its value is last part of primitive name and it will be transformed to underscore case. i.e.: "getSize" will become to "get_size".

So, previous example becames:

@:ndll_import(lib="waxe", prefix="wx_window_")
static function create( args : Array ) : Dynamic { }

###Get shorter: User-defined defaults### The main goal of HxNdll is to write more with less. When you code a wrapper class usually all its methods have a pattern, I mean, they have the @:ndll metadata with almost the same parameters. Here is when @:ndll_use class metadata appears.

Tip: class metadatas @:ndll_use and @:ndll are the same thing, although the first is verbose.

####@:ndll_use default parameter list####

lib: type String. Its value is some library file name
prefix: type String, default is user defined otherwise class path is used. Its value is first part of primitive name and it will transformed to underscore case. i.e.: some.pack.MyClass will became to "some_pack_my_class_". Note underscore as last character.
params: type Array<Expr>, default is [] (empty array).
Its value is an ordered list of arguments which will be merged with field arguments. See Paramaters Merging section.

###Second reduction: @:ndll_forward###

             /-> FFun(w/ prim call)
FFun(empty) -|
             \-> FVar(static, w/ prim load)

@:ndll_forward generates primitive load and fills function block with primitive call.

###Third reduction: @:ndll_prop###

                            /-> FProp(w/ setter or getter) 
                            |-> nil or setter /-> FFun(w/ prim call)
FProp(w/ setter or getter) -|                 \-> FVar(static, w/ prim load)
                            \-> nil or getter /-> FFun(w/ prim call)
                                              \-> FVar(static, w/ prim load)

zweimal/HxNdll

Haxe-ndll: a NDLL creation utility

Example

Installation

Usage