dynamically loaded drivers in R7B

Vance Shipley vances@REDACTED
Sat Nov 25 04:13:32 CET 2000


I am putting together a dynamically linked and have seen some conflict
between the documentation and the header file erl_driver.h.

erl_driver.h:

typedef struct erl_drv_entry {
    int (*init)(void);          /* called at system start up for statically
                                   linked drivers, and after loading for
                                   dynamically loaded drivers */
...


That makes sense however the erl_ddll documentation says:


The init function in struct driver_entry is not used anymore. After the driver
is loaded, the function struct driver_entry *driver_init(void *) is called with
handle as argument. If the operating system loader cannot find a function called
driver_init, the driver will not be loaded.


Now even to further muddy the waters erl_driver.h has:

/*
 * This macro is used to name a dynamic driver's init function in
 * a way that doesn't lead to conflicts. This is crucial when using
 * operating systems that has one namespace for all symbols
 * (e.g. VxWorks). Example: if you have an dynamic driver C source
 * file named echo_drv.c, you use the macro like this:
 *
 *    DRIVER_INIT(echo_drv)
 *    {
 *       ....
 *    }
 *
 * This function well be called by the Erlang I/O system when the driver is load
ed.
 * It must initialize a ErlDrvEntry structure and return a pointer to it.
 */

#if defined(VXWORKS)
#    define DRIVER_INIT(DRIVER_NAME) ErlDrvEntry* DRIVER_NAME  ## _init(void)
#elif defined(__WIN32__)
#    define DRIVER_INIT(DRIVER_NAME) __declspec(dllexport) ErlDrvEntry* driver_i
nit(void)
#else
#    define DRIVER_INIT(DRIVER_NAME) ErlDrvEntry* driver_init(void)
#endif


So which is it?  What does myt function get named in my_drv.c and what
value do I give my_drv_entry.init?

	-Vance




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