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<a href="./Home">MLton 20130715</a>
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<h1>CallingFromSMLToCFunctionPointer</h1>
</div>
<div id="content">
<div id="preamble">
<div class="sectionbody">
<div class="paragraph"><p>Just as MLton can <a href="CallingFromSMLToC">directly call C functions</a>, it
is possible to make indirect function calls; that is, function calls
through a function pointer.  MLton extends the syntax of SML to allow
expressions like the following:</p></div>
<div class="listingblock">
<div class="content monospaced">
<pre>_import * : MLton.Pointer.t -&gt; real * char -&gt; int;</pre>
</div></div>
<div class="paragraph"><p>This expression denotes a function of type</p></div>
<div class="listingblock">
<div class="content"><div class="highlight"><pre><span></span><span class="nn">MLton</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="nn">Pointer</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="n">t</span> <span class="p">-&gt;</span> <span class="n">real</span> <span class="n">*</span> <span class="n">char</span> <span class="p">-&gt;</span> <span class="n">int</span>
</pre></div></div></div>
<div class="paragraph"><p>whose behavior is implemented by calling the C function at the address
denoted by the <span class="monospaced">MLton.Pointer.t</span> argument, and supplying the C
function two arguments, a <span class="monospaced">double</span> and an <span class="monospaced">int</span>.  The C function
pointer may be obtained, for example, by the dynamic linking loader
(<span class="monospaced">dlopen</span>, <span class="monospaced">dlsym</span>, &#8230;).</p></div>
<div class="paragraph"><p>The general form of an indirect <span class="monospaced">_import</span> expression is:</p></div>
<div class="listingblock">
<div class="content monospaced">
<pre>_import * attr... : cPtrTy -&gt; cFuncTy;</pre>
</div></div>
<div class="paragraph"><p>The type and the semicolon are not optional.</p></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="sect1">
<h2 id="_example">Example</h2>
<div class="sectionbody">
<div class="paragraph"><p>This example uses <span class="monospaced">dlopen</span> and friends (imported using normal
<span class="monospaced">_import</span>) to dynamically load the math library (<span class="monospaced">libm</span>) and call the
<span class="monospaced">cos</span> function. Suppose <span class="monospaced">iimport.sml</span> contains the following.</p></div>
<div class="listingblock">
<div class="content"><div class="highlight"><pre><span></span><span class="kr">signature</span> <span class="nn">DYN_LINK</span> <span class="p">=</span>
   <span class="kr">sig</span>
      <span class="kr">type</span> <span class="kt">hndl</span>
      <span class="kr">type</span> <span class="kt">mode</span>
      <span class="kr">type</span> <span class="kt">fptr</span>

      <span class="kr">val</span> <span class="nv">dlopen</span> <span class="p">:</span> <span class="n">string</span> <span class="n">*</span> <span class="n">mode</span> <span class="p">-&gt;</span> <span class="n">hndl</span>
      <span class="kr">val</span> <span class="nv">dlsym</span> <span class="p">:</span> <span class="n">hndl</span> <span class="n">*</span> <span class="n">string</span> <span class="p">-&gt;</span> <span class="n">fptr</span>
      <span class="kr">val</span> <span class="nv">dlclose</span> <span class="p">:</span> <span class="n">hndl</span> <span class="p">-&gt;</span> <span class="n">unit</span>

      <span class="kr">val</span> <span class="nv">RTLD_LAZY</span> <span class="p">:</span> <span class="n">mode</span>
      <span class="kr">val</span> <span class="nv">RTLD_NOW</span> <span class="p">:</span> <span class="n">mode</span>
   <span class="kr">end</span>

<span class="kr">structure</span> <span class="nn">DynLink</span> <span class="p">:&gt;</span> <span class="n">DYN_LINK</span> <span class="p">=</span>
   <span class="kr">struct</span>
      <span class="kr">type</span> <span class="kt">hndl</span> <span class="p">=</span> <span class="nn">MLton</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="nn">Pointer</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="n">t</span>
      <span class="kr">type</span> <span class="kt">mode</span> <span class="p">=</span> <span class="nn">Word32</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="n">word</span>
      <span class="kr">type</span> <span class="kt">fptr</span> <span class="p">=</span> <span class="nn">MLton</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="nn">Pointer</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="n">t</span>

      <span class="cm">(* These symbols come from a system libray, so the default import scope</span>
<span class="cm">       * of external is correct.</span>
<span class="cm">       *)</span>
      <span class="kr">val</span> <span class="nv">dlopen</span> <span class="p">=</span>
         <span class="p">_</span><span class="n">import</span> <span class="s2">&quot;dlopen&quot;</span> <span class="p">:</span> <span class="n">string</span> <span class="n">*</span> <span class="n">mode</span> <span class="p">-&gt;</span> <span class="n">hndl</span><span class="p">;</span>
      <span class="kr">val</span> <span class="nv">dlerror</span> <span class="p">=</span>
         <span class="p">_</span><span class="n">import</span> <span class="s2">&quot;dlerror&quot;</span><span class="p">:</span> <span class="n">unit</span> <span class="p">-&gt;</span> <span class="nn">MLton</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="nn">Pointer</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="n">t</span><span class="p">;</span>
      <span class="kr">val</span> <span class="nv">dlsym</span> <span class="p">=</span>
         <span class="p">_</span><span class="n">import</span> <span class="s2">&quot;dlsym&quot;</span> <span class="p">:</span> <span class="n">hndl</span> <span class="n">*</span> <span class="n">string</span> <span class="p">-&gt;</span> <span class="n">fptr</span><span class="p">;</span>
      <span class="kr">val</span> <span class="nv">dlclose</span> <span class="p">=</span>
         <span class="p">_</span><span class="n">import</span> <span class="s2">&quot;dlclose&quot;</span> <span class="p">:</span> <span class="n">hndl</span> <span class="p">-&gt;</span> <span class="nn">Int32</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="n">int</span><span class="p">;</span>

      <span class="kr">val</span> <span class="nv">RTLD_LAZY</span> <span class="p">=</span> <span class="mh">0wx00001</span> <span class="cm">(* Lazy function call binding.  *)</span>
      <span class="kr">val</span> <span class="nv">RTLD_NOW</span>  <span class="p">=</span> <span class="mh">0wx00002</span> <span class="cm">(* Immediate function call binding.  *)</span>

      <span class="kr">val</span> <span class="nv">dlerror</span> <span class="p">=</span> <span class="kr">fn</span> <span class="p">()</span> <span class="p">=&gt;</span>
         <span class="kr">let</span>
            <span class="kr">val</span> <span class="nv">addr</span> <span class="p">=</span> <span class="n">dlerror</span> <span class="p">()</span>
         <span class="kr">in</span>
            <span class="kr">if</span> <span class="n">addr</span> <span class="p">=</span> <span class="nn">MLton</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="nn">Pointer</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="n">null</span>
               <span class="kr">then</span> <span class="n">NONE</span>
               <span class="kr">else</span> <span class="kr">let</span>
                       <span class="kr">fun</span> <span class="nf">loop</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="n">index</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="n">cs</span><span class="p">)</span> <span class="p">=</span>
                          <span class="kr">let</span>
                             <span class="kr">val</span> <span class="nv">w</span> <span class="p">=</span> <span class="nn">MLton</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="nn">Pointer</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="n">getWord8</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="n">addr</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="n">index</span><span class="p">)</span>
                             <span class="kr">val</span> <span class="nv">c</span> <span class="p">=</span> <span class="nn">Byte</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="n">byteToChar</span> <span class="n">w</span>
                          <span class="kr">in</span>
                             <span class="kr">if</span> <span class="n">c</span> <span class="p">=</span> <span class="sc">#&quot;</span><span class="se">\000</span><span class="sc">&quot;</span>
                                <span class="kr">then</span> <span class="n">SOME</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="n">implode</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="n">rev</span> <span class="n">cs</span><span class="p">))</span>
                                <span class="kr">else</span> <span class="n">loop</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="n">index</span> <span class="n">+</span> <span class="mi">1</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="n">c::cs</span><span class="p">)</span>
                          <span class="kr">end</span>
                    <span class="kr">in</span>
                       <span class="n">loop</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="mi">0</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="p">[])</span>
                    <span class="kr">end</span>
         <span class="kr">end</span>

      <span class="kr">val</span> <span class="nv">dlopen</span> <span class="p">=</span> <span class="kr">fn</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="n">filename</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="n">mode</span><span class="p">)</span> <span class="p">=&gt;</span>
         <span class="kr">let</span>
            <span class="kr">val</span> <span class="nv">filename</span> <span class="p">=</span> <span class="n">filename</span> <span class="n">^</span> <span class="s2">&quot;</span><span class="se">\000</span><span class="s2">&quot;</span>
            <span class="kr">val</span> <span class="nv">hndl</span> <span class="p">=</span> <span class="n">dlopen</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="n">filename</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="n">mode</span><span class="p">)</span>
         <span class="kr">in</span>
            <span class="kr">if</span> <span class="n">hndl</span> <span class="p">=</span> <span class="nn">MLton</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="nn">Pointer</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="n">null</span>
               <span class="kr">then</span> <span class="kr">raise</span> <span class="n">Fail</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="kr">case</span> <span class="n">dlerror</span> <span class="p">()</span> <span class="kr">of</span>
                                   <span class="n">NONE</span> <span class="p">=&gt;</span> <span class="s2">&quot;???&quot;</span>
                                 <span class="n">|</span> <span class="n">SOME</span> <span class="n">s</span> <span class="p">=&gt;</span> <span class="n">s</span><span class="p">)</span>
               <span class="kr">else</span> <span class="n">hndl</span>
         <span class="kr">end</span>

      <span class="kr">val</span> <span class="nv">dlsym</span> <span class="p">=</span> <span class="kr">fn</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="n">hndl</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="n">symbol</span><span class="p">)</span> <span class="p">=&gt;</span>
         <span class="kr">let</span>
            <span class="kr">val</span> <span class="nv">symbol</span> <span class="p">=</span> <span class="n">symbol</span> <span class="n">^</span> <span class="s2">&quot;</span><span class="se">\000</span><span class="s2">&quot;</span>
            <span class="kr">val</span> <span class="nv">fptr</span> <span class="p">=</span> <span class="n">dlsym</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="n">hndl</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="n">symbol</span><span class="p">)</span>
         <span class="kr">in</span>
            <span class="kr">case</span> <span class="n">dlerror</span> <span class="p">()</span> <span class="kr">of</span>
               <span class="n">NONE</span> <span class="p">=&gt;</span> <span class="n">fptr</span>
             <span class="n">|</span> <span class="n">SOME</span> <span class="n">s</span> <span class="p">=&gt;</span> <span class="kr">raise</span> <span class="n">Fail</span> <span class="n">s</span>
         <span class="kr">end</span>

      <span class="kr">val</span> <span class="nv">dlclose</span> <span class="p">=</span> <span class="kr">fn</span> <span class="n">hndl</span> <span class="p">=&gt;</span>
         <span class="kr">if</span> <span class="nn">MLton</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="nn">Platform</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="nn">OS</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="n">host</span> <span class="p">=</span> <span class="nn">MLton</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="nn">Platform</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="nn">OS</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="n">Darwin</span>
            <span class="kr">then</span> <span class="p">()</span>  <span class="cm">(* Darwin reports the following error message if you</span>
<span class="cm">                      * try to close a dynamic library.</span>
<span class="cm">                      *   &quot;dynamic libraries cannot be closed&quot;</span>
<span class="cm">                      * So, we disable dlclose on Darwin.</span>
<span class="cm">                      *)</span>
         <span class="kr">else</span>
            <span class="kr">let</span>
               <span class="kr">val</span> <span class="nv">res</span> <span class="p">=</span> <span class="n">dlclose</span> <span class="n">hndl</span>
            <span class="kr">in</span>
               <span class="kr">if</span> <span class="n">res</span> <span class="p">=</span> <span class="mi">0</span>
                  <span class="kr">then</span> <span class="p">()</span>
               <span class="kr">else</span> <span class="kr">raise</span> <span class="n">Fail</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="kr">case</span> <span class="n">dlerror</span> <span class="p">()</span> <span class="kr">of</span>
                                   <span class="n">NONE</span> <span class="p">=&gt;</span> <span class="s2">&quot;???&quot;</span>
                                 <span class="n">|</span> <span class="n">SOME</span> <span class="n">s</span> <span class="p">=&gt;</span> <span class="n">s</span><span class="p">)</span>
            <span class="kr">end</span>
   <span class="kr">end</span>

<span class="kr">val</span> <span class="nv">dll</span> <span class="p">=</span>
   <span class="kr">let</span>
      <span class="kr">open</span> <span class="nn">MLton</span><span class="err">.Platform.OS</span>
   <span class="kr">in</span>
      <span class="kr">case</span> <span class="n">host</span> <span class="kr">of</span>
         <span class="n">Cygwin</span> <span class="p">=&gt;</span> <span class="s2">&quot;cygwin1.dll&quot;</span>
       <span class="n">|</span> <span class="n">Darwin</span> <span class="p">=&gt;</span> <span class="s2">&quot;libm.dylib&quot;</span>
       <span class="n">|</span> <span class="p">_</span> <span class="p">=&gt;</span> <span class="s2">&quot;libm.so&quot;</span>
   <span class="kr">end</span>

<span class="kr">val</span> <span class="nv">hndl</span> <span class="p">=</span> <span class="nn">DynLink</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="n">dlopen</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="n">dll</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="nn">DynLink</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="n">RTLD_LAZY</span><span class="p">)</span>

<span class="kr">local</span>
   <span class="kr">val</span> <span class="nv">double_to_double</span> <span class="p">=</span>
      <span class="p">_</span><span class="n">import</span> <span class="n">*</span> <span class="p">:</span> <span class="nn">DynLink</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="n">fptr</span> <span class="p">-&gt;</span> <span class="n">real</span> <span class="p">-&gt;</span> <span class="n">real</span><span class="p">;</span>
   <span class="kr">val</span> <span class="nv">cos_fptr</span> <span class="p">=</span> <span class="nn">DynLink</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="n">dlsym</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="n">hndl</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="s2">&quot;cos&quot;</span><span class="p">)</span>
<span class="kr">in</span>
   <span class="kr">val</span> <span class="nv">cos</span> <span class="p">=</span> <span class="n">double_to_double</span> <span class="n">cos_fptr</span>
<span class="kr">end</span>

<span class="kr">val</span> <span class="p">_</span> <span class="p">=</span> <span class="n">print</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="n">concat</span> <span class="p">[</span><span class="s2">&quot;    Math.cos(2.0) = &quot;</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="nn">Real</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="n">toString</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="nn">Math</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="n">cos</span> <span class="mf">2.0</span><span class="p">),</span> <span class="s2">&quot;</span><span class="se">\n</span><span class="s2">&quot;</span><span class="p">,</span>
                       <span class="s2">&quot;libm.so::cos(2.0) = &quot;</span><span class="p">,</span> <span class="nn">Real</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="n">toString</span> <span class="p">(</span><span class="n">cos</span> <span class="mf">2.0</span><span class="p">),</span> <span class="s2">&quot;</span><span class="se">\n</span><span class="s2">&quot;</span><span class="p">])</span>

<span class="kr">val</span> <span class="p">_</span> <span class="p">=</span> <span class="nn">DynLink</span><span class="p">.</span><span class="n">dlclose</span> <span class="n">hndl</span>
</pre></div></div></div>
<div class="paragraph"><p>Compile and run <span class="monospaced">iimport.sml</span>.</p></div>
<div class="listingblock">
<div class="content monospaced">
<pre>% mlton -default-ann 'allowFFI true'    \
        -target-link-opt linux -ldl     \
        -target-link-opt solaris -ldl   \
         iimport.sml
% iimport
    Math.cos(2.0) = ~0.416146836547
libm.so::cos(2.0) = ~0.416146836547</pre>
</div></div>
<div class="paragraph"><p>This example also shows the <span class="monospaced">-target-link-opt</span> option, which uses the
switch when linking only when on the specified platform.  Compile with
<span class="monospaced">-verbose 1</span> to see in more detail what&#8217;s being passed to <span class="monospaced">gcc</span>.</p></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="sect1">
<h2 id="_download">Download</h2>
<div class="sectionbody">
<div class="ulist"><ul>
<li>
<p>
<a href="https://raw.github.com/MLton/mlton/master/doc/examples/ffi/iimport.sml"><span class="monospaced">iimport.sml</span></a>
</p>
</li>
</ul></div>
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