dyncall - A Generic Dynamic FFI package

dyncall is a low-level toolkit providing a portable abstraction for handling native code dynamically at run time. It comprises three independent components, available as C libraries, namely:

• 'dyncall' for making function calls,
• 'dyncallback' or writing generic callback handlers, and
• 'dynload' for loading code.

The package provides abstractions to the Application Binary Interface of various hardware platforms such as IA32, AMD64, ARM, PowerPC, MIPS and SPARC.

Our releases are deeply tested using a flexible test suite.

A typical application for the use of dyncall is the back-end of a FFI (foreign function interface) for scripting languages to connect with the C/C++ world.

The binary footprint of the package is approx. 20 kb. A test suite and comprehensive documentation is available.

Building the libraries

Prequisites:

• C compiler such as gcc, clang, sunpro or msvc.
• Assembler such as gas (gnu/apple), fbe or masm.
• Build system such as 'shell/make', cmake, nmake (windows) or mk (plan9).

Supported Architectures and ABIs:

• x86 32/64-bit (cdecl, fastcall, stdcall, C++ this calls, Syscalls)
• ARM AArch32 (ARM/Thumb mode, v4t-v7, oabi/eabi, soft/hardfloat ABIs)
• MIPS 32/64-bit (o32, n64, eabi)
• PowerPC 32-bit (Mac OS X, System V)
• Sparc 32/64-bit (v7/8 and v9)

NOTE: Callback support is currently available on x86-32/64, arm32 softfloat ABIs and ppc32 OS X ABI.

Supported Operating Systems:

• Android
• *BSD
• Haiku
• iOS
• Linux
• Mac OS X
• Microsoft Windows
• Minix
• Nintendo DS Homebrew
• Plan9 / 9front
• Playstation Portable Homebrew
• ReactOS
• Solaris

Building the libraries

Using configure shell script and GNU/BSD/Sun make system.

$ ./configure $ make $ make install

Testing:

$ make tests $ make run-tests

Build 'out-of-source'

$ cd <build_dir> $ <src_dir>/configure --prefix=<install_dir> $ make $ sudo make install

Building using CMake

$ cmake $ make $ sudo make install

Building on Windows

See doc/README.Windows

Building the manual

Make sure pdflatex is installed and run

$ make docs

Please refer to http://www.dyncall.org, dyncall(3), the dyncall manual and platform-specific READMEs under doc/ for more information.