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Free Pascal => General => Topic started by: 440bx on February 09, 2019, 11:06:30 pm

Title: dec (and likely inc) do not operate as in Delphi
Post by: 440bx on February 09, 2019, 11:06:30 pm
Hello,

FPC returns an error when attempting to compile:
Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]
  1. program AddressOfConstantError;
  2. uses
  3.   Windows
  4.   ;
  5.  
  6. procedure DoIt;
  7. var
  8.   TabbedTextExtent      : integer;
  9.   ClientRect            : TRECT;
  10.  
  11. begin
  12.   ZeroMemory(@ClientRect, sizeof(ClientRect));
  13.   ClientRect.Right := 8;
  14.  
  15.   TabbedTextExtent := 20;
  16.    
  17.   // below is the statement FPC does not like
  18.  
  19.   Dec(LOWORD(TabbedTextExtent), ClientRect.Right div 4);
  20. end;
  21.  
  22. begin
  23.   DoIt;
  24. end.
  25.  
with the error
Code: Pascal  [Select][+][-]
  1. AddressOfConstantError.lpr(22,55) Error: Can't take the address of constant expressions

Delphi compiles the program without complaint (it decrements the word at the address loword(variable)).  FPC will not compile the program even in Delphi mode.

Should this be considered a "Delphi compatibility mode" bug ?

Title: Re: dec (and likely inc) do not operate as in Delphi
Post by: marcov on February 09, 2019, 11:30:12 pm
Might also be a matter of loword not being a build in or so.

So if it is a buildin, it can be used in situations that ask an adress, or not.

You can always file it, but having some context is better (like is this in all Delphi versions so?)
Title: Re: dec (and likely inc) do not operate as in Delphi
Post by: ASerge on February 09, 2019, 11:43:42 pm
Quote from: 440bx on February 09, 2019, 11:06:30 pm
Delphi compiles the program without complaint (it decrements the word at the address loword(variable)).  FPC will not compile the program even in Delphi mode.
I tested in old (Delphi 7) and new (Delphi 10.3) - both give an error at compile time.
Title: Re: dec (and likely inc) do not operate as in Delphi
Post by: 440bx on February 09, 2019, 11:56:08 pm
Quote from: marcov on February 09, 2019, 11:30:12 pm
Might also be a matter of loword not being a build in or so.

So if it is a buildin, it can be used in situations that ask an adress, or not.

You can always file it, but having some context is better (like is this in all Delphi versions so?)
Based on the code the compiler (Delphi 2.0 - in my case) generated, it looks like the compiler "knows"/"calculates" the target address.

I don't know if that behavior is present in all versions of Delphi.  The only version I keep installed on my machine is Delphi 2.0. 

It would be nice if other people, who do have multiple versions of Delphi "on hand", could test the code I submitted and answer your question.

ETA:

@Serge:

Thank you for trying it out in other versions of Delphi.

ETA 2:

Given Serge's results, I don't think this behavior should be reported as a bug since it is not even consistent across versions of Delphi.
Title: Re: dec (and likely inc) do not operate as in Delphi
Post by: jamie on February 10, 2019, 12:46:59 am
LOWORD is a function, its not a casting record.

quick look, it comes from the WINDOWS and has not been made to be a
macro

 casting it with a WORD should produce what you want but I don't know how that would be implemented
in fpc so not to use it as a type.

define LOWORD = WORD;

currently its a Function which Is why it is behaving this way.


Title: Re: dec (and likely inc) do not operate as in Delphi
Post by: 440bx on February 10, 2019, 01:03:20 am
Quote from: jamie on February 10, 2019, 12:46:59 am
currently its a Function which Is why it is behaving this way.
I understand why it's behaving that way. 

It's interesting that the Delphi 2 compiler simply adjusts the target address.  Very efficient... nice :)
Title: Re: dec (and likely inc) do not operate as in Delphi
Post by: jamie on February 11, 2019, 01:55:05 am
You know I got thinking, yes I know its a dangerous thing to do.

Inc(Pword(@YourDwordOrLongword)[1], howmuch);


Just thinking..
Title: Re: dec (and likely inc) do not operate as in Delphi
Post by: 440bx on February 11, 2019, 02:28:43 am
Quote from: jamie on February 11, 2019, 01:55:05 am
You know I got thinking, yes I know its a dangerous thing to do.

Inc(Pword(@YourDwordOrLongword)[1], howmuch);


Just thinking..
For some reason, I don't really know why of course, that line of code reminds me of the C language. ;)

I just overlaid a record definition over the dword breaking it into two variables, used the one in the loword as a parameter to inc.  The FPC compiler is happy to get a variable, Delphi 2.0 is happy either way and, I'm happy my variable got incremented.  The stuff binary fairy tales are made of.
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