gistfile1.txt

Current NCI System: 

v  - Void. As a return type it indicates that there is no return type.Not valid as a parameter type.
c  - Char. This is an integer type, taken from (or put into) an I register. NOTE: it might be signed or unsigned because that is how an unadorned C 'char' works.
s  - short. An integer type, taken from or put into an I register. It is always signed, not unsigned.
i  - int. An integer type. It is always signed, not unsigned.
l  - long. An integer type. You know the drill. It is always signed, not unsigned.
f  - float. F register denizen.
d  - double. F register, double-precision floating point type
P  - A PMC register.
p  - PMC thingie. A generic pointer, taken from a PMC by using its get_pointer vtable function, or NULL for a PMCNULL. If this is a return type and the value is NULL, PMCNULL is returned, otherwise parrot will create a new UnManagedStruct PMC type, which is just a generic "pointer to something" PMC type which Parrot does no management of.
2  - A pointer to a short, taken from an P register of an int-like PMC.
3  - A pointer to an int, taken from an P register of an int-like PMC.
4  - A pointer to a long, taken from an P register of an int-like PMC.
t  - string pointer. Taken from, or stuck into, a string register. (Converted to a null-terminated C string before passing in)
U  - This parameter is used for passing user data to a callback creation. More explanation in the callbacks section.


New Extensions: 

Base Data Types:
    c = char - 8 bit
    b = int8 - 8 bit
    w = w_char, system dependent
    s = short - 16 bit
    l = long - 32 bit
    i = int
    q = long long - 64 bit
    f = float
    d = double
    D = long doulbe (if supported)
    v = void
    t = string pointer. From a string register. (null-terminated C String)
    x = alignment size, eg. x[8] 

Specials:
    P = PMC    
    . = Var Args (Experimental), function definition only, has to be last argument. 
    U  = Callback, Function Pointers

Modifiers:
  Prefix: 
    *     = Pointer
    s     = Signed
    u     = Unsigned
    &     = pass_by_ref in functions, only valid in function defintions
    !     = Native Type
    ^     = UnManaged
    >     = force big-endian
    <     = force little-endian
  Infix:
    |     = union of left two right
  Postfix:
    i# = int of size ##, eg. i8, i16, i32, i64, i128...
    {...} = key name, only valid in a structure after a definition.
    [...] = array of a set size, or alignment size
  Circumfix:
    (...) = structure

New Ops:
    PMC struct_from_string STRING
        This operation will build a structure from a given string definition. For 
        consistancy, I think it should include the () in the definition. 

Modified Ops:
    loadlib - Modify this function to make a hash of values you have pulled from it. So you can say lib["function"] for instance, and retrieve the function definition. 


Examples:
  *c              = char*
  *(iuqd)          = struct { int; unsigned long long; double}*
  *(i{foo}d{bar}) = struct { int foo; double bar }*
  ***i            = int*** (pointer's can point to pointers)

  *(d{price} i{id})