Have anyone know how to translate C 0-length array to Pascal array?

[marcov]

Afaik that length is marked using pragma's in C and not necessarily the first. (quite often later versions of the record increased the distance between fields and array)

[TYDQ]

If I understand correctly, this is a length‑prefixed array. A length‑prefixed array can be achieved with schema data types. Schemata are defined by ISO standard 10206 “Extended Pascal”. Unfortunately the FPC does not support EP, in particular schemata, yet.

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. type
2.         integerList(length: integer) = array[1..length] of integer;
3. var
4.         myList: integerList(5); { = array[1..5] of integer }
5. begin
6.         writeLn(myList.length); { writes `5` }

You need to use pointers if the length changes at run‑time; Extended Pascal also permits variable sub‑range boundaries, e. g. the following is legal:

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. program variableSubRangeDemo;
2.         procedure p(protected length: integer);
3.                 type
4.                         arrayIndex = 1..length;
5.                 var
6.                         myArray: array[arrayIndex] of integer;
7.                         i: arrayIndex;
8.                 begin
9.                         { Now you have an array[1..5] of integer
10.                           without using pointers or schema data types. }
11.                 end;
12.         begin
13.                 p(5);
14.         end.

Again, it is not necessary to invent novel syntax, this feature is not missing in Pascal, it merely lacks FPC support.

So how to make the record adapt to record members which is decided in runtime not in compile time?Does the pointer can decide the array size in runtime and dynamicly decided by the items input?

[jamie]

@TYDQ

 The array you presented in your attempted translation has no size; you cannot emulate it using standard methods in pascal.

 In C, you can have zero size arrays defined but all this does is allows you to index the memory that is at that immediate location,
 basically, overlapping memory that is there without actually allocating space in the RECORD/STRUCT

  This is commonly done to allow header information which may contain size info for example of following data in memory.

 Have you looked at the solution I provided a few posts back using a Generic that can be expressed with virtually any data type?
 

[TYDQ]

@TYDQ

 The array you presented in your attempted translation has no size; you cannot emulate it using standard methods in pascal.

 In C, you can have zero size arrays defined but all this does is allows you to index the memory that is at that immediate location,
 basically, overlapping memory that is there without actually allocating space in the RECORD/STRUCT

  This is commonly done to allow header information which may contain size info for example of following data in memory.

 Have you looked at the solution I provided a few posts back using a Generic that can be expressed with virtually any data type?

So how to modify your code posted in fpc not in objfpc(I don't know how to write an objpas unit)?

[Kays]

[…] So how to make the record adapt to record members which is decided in runtime not in compile time?Does the pointer can decide the array size in runtime and dynamicly decided by the items input?

Extended Pascal extends the new procedure to take additional (variable) arguments.

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. program runTimeDiscriminationDemo(input);
2.         type
3.                 natural = 1..maxInt;
4.                 integerList(length: natural) = array[1..length] of integer;
5.         var
6.                 requestedLength: natural;
7.                 integerListLocation: ^integerList;
8.         begin
9.                 readLn(requestedLength);
10.                 new(integerListLocation, requestedLength);
11.         end.

Again, this works fine with the GPC but does not work with the FPC as of yet.
_{GPC is abandonware, so don’t bother trying it. I merely use it to verify claims about Extended Pascal.}

[jamie]

So how to modify your code posted in fpc not in objfpc(I don't know how to write an objpas unit)?

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. program Project1;
2.  
3. {$mode fpc}{$H+}
4.  
5. uses
6.   {$IFDEF UNIX}{$IFDEF UseCThreads}
7.   cthreads,
8.   {$ENDIF}{$ENDIF}
9.   Classes
10.   { you can add units after this };
11. Type
12. multiboot_color = record
13.   red, green, blue: byte;
14. end;
15.  
16. multiboot_tag_framebuffer_common = record
17.   // fields of multiboot_tag_framebuffer_common
18. end;
19. TEmptyBootColorArray = Object
20.    Type
21.       PT = ^multiboot_Color;
22.   Private
23.   Function  fMultiBoot_color(I:Integer):multiboot_color;
24.   Procedure SetMultiBoot_Color(I:integer; Value:multiboot_color);
25.   Public
26.   Property Items[x:integer]:multiboot_Color Read fMultiBoot_color write SetMultiBoot_Color; default;
27. end;
28. multiboot_tag_framebuffer = record
29.   common: multiboot_tag_framebuffer_common;
30.   case integer of
31.     0: (
32.       framebuffer_palette_num_colors: word;
33.       //framebuffer_palette: array of multiboot_color; //Old translation
34.       framebuffer_palette:TEmptyBootColorArray;  //New translation
35.     );
36.     1: (
37.       framebuffer_red_field_position: byte;
38.       framebuffer_red_mask_size: byte;
39.       framebuffer_green_field_position: byte;
40.       framebuffer_green_mask_size: byte;
41.       framebuffer_blue_field_position: byte;
42.       framebuffer_blue_mask_size: byte;
43.     );
44. end;
45. Function TEmptyBootColorArray.FMultiBoot_color(I:Integer):Multiboot_Color;
46.  Begin
47.    fMultiBoot_Color := PT(@Self)[I];
48.  end;
49. Procedure TEmptyBootColorArray.SetMultiBoot_Color(I:integer; Value:multiboot_color);
50. Begin
51.   PT(@Self)[I] := Value;
52. end;
53.  
54. Var
55.   T:multiboot_Tag_FrameBuffer;
56.   B:multiboot_color;
57. begin
58.   B.red := 123;
59.   T.framebuffer_palette[0]:= B; //Example how to set a cell;
60.   WriteLn('Sizde of Record :',SizeOf(T));
61.   WriteLn('Value that was entered :',T.FrameBUffer_palette[0].red);
62.   ReadLn;
63. end.
64.  
65.  

FPC mode, with basic example..

[TYDQ]

So how to modify your code posted in fpc not in objfpc(I don't know how to write an objpas unit)?

Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]

1. program Project1;
2.  
3. {$mode fpc}{$H+}
4.  
5. uses
6.   {$IFDEF UNIX}{$IFDEF UseCThreads}
7.   cthreads,
8.   {$ENDIF}{$ENDIF}
9.   Classes
10.   { you can add units after this };
11. Type
12. multiboot_color = record
13.   red, green, blue: byte;
14. end;
15.  
16. multiboot_tag_framebuffer_common = record
17.   // fields of multiboot_tag_framebuffer_common
18. end;
19. TEmptyBootColorArray = Object
20.    Type
21.       PT = ^multiboot_Color;
22.   Private
23.   Function  fMultiBoot_color(I:Integer):multiboot_color;
24.   Procedure SetMultiBoot_Color(I:integer; Value:multiboot_color);
25.   Public
26.   Property Items[x:integer]:multiboot_Color Read fMultiBoot_color write SetMultiBoot_Color; default;
27. end;
28. multiboot_tag_framebuffer = record
29.   common: multiboot_tag_framebuffer_common;
30.   case integer of
31.     0: (
32.       framebuffer_palette_num_colors: word;
33.       //framebuffer_palette: array of multiboot_color; //Old translation
34.       framebuffer_palette:TEmptyBootColorArray;  //New translation
35.     );
36.     1: (
37.       framebuffer_red_field_position: byte;
38.       framebuffer_red_mask_size: byte;
39.       framebuffer_green_field_position: byte;
40.       framebuffer_green_mask_size: byte;
41.       framebuffer_blue_field_position: byte;
42.       framebuffer_blue_mask_size: byte;
43.     );
44. end;
45. Function TEmptyBootColorArray.FMultiBoot_color(I:Integer):Multiboot_Color;
46.  Begin
47.    fMultiBoot_Color := PT(@Self)[I];
48.  end;
49. Procedure TEmptyBootColorArray.SetMultiBoot_Color(I:integer; Value:multiboot_color);
50. Begin
51.   PT(@Self)[I] := Value;
52. end;
53.  
54. Var
55.   T:multiboot_Tag_FrameBuffer;
56.   B:multiboot_color;
57. begin
58.   B.red := 123;
59.   T.framebuffer_palette[0]:= B; //Example how to set a cell;
60.   WriteLn('Sizde of Record :',SizeOf(T));
61.   WriteLn('Value that was entered :',T.FrameBUffer_palette[0].red);
62.   ReadLn;
63. end.
64.  
65.  

FPC mode, with basic example..

Thank you!