Re: Code questions (strings and other things)

[Daniel J S. <dan...@ie...>]

Ethan Merritt wrote:

>gp_alloc()
>==========
>I assume the intent is to use this function everywhere
>rather than to use malloc() directly.  Without this
>restriction, gnuplot's memory use code in alloc.c dies
>dramatically if you use the free() macro.
>So is it correct that all uses of malloc() are bugs?
>getcolor.c in particular is an offender in this regard.
>Should the guidelines in CodeStyle mention this restriction?
>

In what sense do you mean the memory use code dies dramatically?  The 
gp_alloc() routine could be made a definition or a function, e.g., in 
alloc.h define

#if USE_MEMORY_CHECK
    generic *gp_alloc __PROTO((size_t size, const char *message));
    generic *gp_realloc __PROTO((generic *p, size_t size, const char 
*message));
    void gpfree __PROTO((generic *p));
    #define alloc <some kind of error macro saying "use gp_alloc">
    #define realloc <some kind of error macro saying "use gp_realloc">
    #define free <some kind of error macro saying "use gpfree">
#else
    #define gp_alloc alloc
    #define gp_realloc realloc
    #define gpfree free
#endif

That will force developers to use gp_alloc consistently, but users--who 
likely won't know how to use gp_alloc--can leave that code out.

Dan

PS:  Why isn't gpfree, gp_free; consistent with gp_alloc, etc.?