Recent changes to feature-requests

read file as string

Anonymous — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:37:23 -0000

a simple way for reading a file as string would be nice. Because there is no builtin way from blob to string and no method to read a string directly.

Make UserData implementation more safe

Rewoonenco Andrew — Sat, 06 Dec 2003 10:16:37 -0000

When embedding Squirrel using UserData we have a one
big problem - to be sure that UserData allocated have
specified type (we can invoke other closure in Squirrel
with current UserData) we need to hold in UserData some
data unique for this UserData type.
This can be a pointer for example.

But this is not a fast way - we must get UserData then
get from it this pointer (when UserData size is less then
pointer size we have unpredictable side effect) and at
last compare it.

I suggest to use some more data at UserData - pointer to
user-specified data (same as user-pointer).

One more member - the UserData size is also good but
not as vital as type pointer.

Also is good to use in one call release hook.

When user push new UserData we can modify function or
add new as:

"SQUserPointer sq_newuserdata_t(HSQUIRRELVM v,
unsigned int size, SQUserPointer usertype,
SQUSERDATARELEASE release)"

The last two member may be NULL.

In most cases UserData have delegate with closures
(otherwise meaning of UserData is nullified) so alternate
UserData create function is:

"SQUserPointer sq_newuserdata_td(HSQUIRRELVM v,
unsigned int size, SQUserPointer usertype,
SQUSERDATARELEASE release, int idxdelegate)"

To simplify detection of user data we have to add two
new requiest function:

"SQRESULT sq_getuserdata_t(HSQUIRRELVM v,int idx,
SQUserPointer *puserdata, SQUserPointer requesttype)"

This function request only specified type.

"SQRESULT sq_getuserdata_tx(HSQUIRRELVM v,int idx,
SQUserPointer *puserdata, SQUserPointer *havetype)"

This function request any type and type of it.

This functions required to UserData have changed, this
ones can't be added without it.
Otherwise we can create UserData without such pointer
and cause memory access errors and POSSIBLY
UNSTABLE code.

Argument binding

Rewoonenco Andrew — Sun, 09 Nov 2003 11:33:31 -0000

In current version of Squirrel (0.6) is possible to call
function in squirrel with count of arguments different
from declared.

When using less arguments arguments not
specified will be unknown (in most cases they be
last function n-th argument, in some cases NULL,
etc.).

When using more arguments than in function
definition extra arguments don't have access from
function.

I suggest one of folowing solution:

1. Count of argument to function. When calling
function with arguments less than defined extra
arguments filled with NULLs. When calling function
with more arguments than defined generate an
error.

2. Use exact number of arguments. In functon
definition using syntax "arg=default_value" when
argument can be omitted. This allow calling some
function like "func_5(8, av2,,15)" defined as
"function(a1, a2, a3="ee", a4=0, a5="0")".

Add new metamethod for delete

Rewoonenco Andrew — Sat, 08 Nov 2003 08:40:28 -0000

Strange but adding an item can be catched inside a
table but catching "delete" operator is impossible.

I suggest to add new metamethod "_delslot" to list
of other metamethods to complete slot
metamethods list.

Add new type (userdatapointer)

Rewoonenco Andrew — Sat, 08 Nov 2003 08:36:11 -0000

In some situations when embedding Squirrel
"userdata" type is not very eficient: when I use
manually created objects or imported via API (ex.
ActiveX in windows). In this case using another
buffer with only one pointer inside is not very clean.

I suggest to use special type "userdatapointer".
This type is very close to "userdata" type but
instead of allocating data by VM this type has only
pointer with two functions - addref and release, all
specified in native language.

Inside engine this may be implemented as using
structure

struct UserDataPointer {
void* data;
void (*addref)(HSQUIRRELVM, void*);
void (*release)(HSQUIRRELVM, void*);
};

This structure can be embeded into object structure
or pointer to it can be holded inside.

Next this allow future optimization of VM code to
make code very efficient.

Unite LIB headers

Rewoonenco Andrew — Sat, 08 Nov 2003 08:27:34 -0000

In current squirrel version (0.6) files
sqiolib.h
sqmathlib.h
sqsystemlib.h
sqbloblib.h
have only one or some more declaration of LIB
registration function.

1) This headers could be united into one named
something as "sqstdlib.h".

2) This libs haven't SQUIRREL_API or some other
declaration predicate and incompatible with
"squirrel.h" file.

change printf

Rewoonenco Andrew — Sat, 08 Nov 2003 08:20:27 -0000

In current version of Squirrel used "scprintf" (printf
or wprintf) for output information. I suggest to use
function private for each VM for such output. This
allow for one VM dump into file, another into
window etc.

Suggested prototype of this function are:
typedef int (*dump_func)(HSQUIRRELVM v, const
SQChar *fmt, ...);

to use this function one support function must be
added:
SQUIRREL_API dump_func
sq_set_dump_func(HSQUIRRELVM v, dump_func pf);

Default function may be NULL or empty stub
function.