TypeCode kind

This function categorizes the abstract data type described by a TypeCode.

Syntax

TypeCode         tc;
Environment     *env;
TCKind           rc;

rc = TypeCode_kind(tc, env);

Parameters

tc (TypeCode)

The TypeCode whose TCKind categorization is requested.

env (Environment *)

A pointer to an Environment structure.

The CORBA standard mandates the use of this structure as a standard way to return exception information when an error condition is detected.

Returns

rc (TCKind)

Returns one of the enumerators listed in the TCKind enumeration shown below. No exceptions are raised by this function.

enum TCKind { tk_null, tk_void, tk_short, tk_long, tk_ushort,
              tk_ulong, tk_float, tk_double, tk_boolean, tk_char,
              tk_octet, tk_any, tk_TypeCode, tk_Principal,
              tk_objref, tk_struct, tk_union, tk_enum, tk_string,
              tk_sequence, tk_array, tk_pointer, tk_self,
              tk_foreign };

Remarks

The TypeCode_kind function can be used to classify a TypeCode into one of the categories listed in the TCKind enumeration. Based on the "kind" classification, a TypeCode may contain 0 or more additional parameters to fully describe the underlying data type.

The following table indicates the number and function of these additional parameters. TCKind entries not listed in the table are basic data types and do not have any additional parameters. The designation "N" refers to the number of members in a struct or union, or the number of enumerators in an enum.

TypeCode information per TCKind category

TCKIND	PARAMETERS	TYPE	FUNCTION
TK_OBJREF	1	STRING	The ID of the corresponding INTERFACEDEF in the Interface Repository
TK_STRUCT	2N+1	STRING	The name of the STRUCT.
			───── next 2 repeat for each member ─────
		STRING	The name of the STRUCT member.
		TYPECODE	The type of the STRUCT member.
TK_UNION	3N+2	STRING	The name of the UNION.
		TYPECODE	The type of the discriminator.
			───── next 3 repeat for each member ─────
		LONG	The label value
		STRING	The name of the member.
		TYPECODE	The type of the member.
TK_ENUM	N+1	STRING	The name of the ENUM.
			─── next repeats for each enumerator ────
		STRING	The name of the enumerator.
TK_STRING	1	LONG	The maximum string length or 0.
TK_SEQUENCE	2	TYPECODE	The type of element in the sequence.
		LONG	The maximum number of elements or 0.
TK_ARRAY	2	TYPECODE	The type of element in the ARRAY.
		LONG	The maximum number of elements.
TK_POINTER*	1	TYPECODE	The type of the referenced datum.
TK_SELF*	1	STRING	The name of the referenced enclosing STRUCT or UNION.
TK_FOREIGN*	3	STRING	The name of the foreign type.
		STRING	The implementation context.
		LONG	The size of an instance.
* The TCKIND values TK_POINTER, TK_SELF, and TK_FOREIGN are SOM-unique extensions to the CORBA standard. They are provided to permit TYPECODES to describe types that cannot be expressed in standard IDL. The TK_POINTER TYPECODE contains only one parameter-a TYPECODE which describes the data type that the pointer references. The TK_SELF TYPECODE is used to describe a "self-referential" structure or union without introducing unbounded recursion in the TYPECODE. For example, the following C struct: struct node { long count; struct node *next; }; could be described with a TYPECODE created as follows: TypeCode tcForNode; tcForNode = TypeCodeNew (tk_struct, "node", "count", TypeCodeNew (tk_long), "next", TypeCodeNew (tk_pointer, TypeCodeNew (tk_self, "node"))); The TK_FOREIGN TYPECODE provides a more general escape mechanism, allowing TYPECODEs to be created that partially describe non-IDL types. Since these foreign TYPECODEs carry only a partial description of a type, the "implementation context" parameter can be used by a non-IDL execution environment to recognize other types that are known or understood in that environment. See the section entitled "Using the tk_foreign TypeCode" in Chapter 7 of the SOM Toolkit User's Guide for more information about using foreign TYPECODES in SOM IDL files. Note that the use of self-referential structures, pointers, or foreign types is beyond the scope of the CORBA standard, and may result in a loss of portability or distributability in client code.

Original Class

• TypeDef

Related Information

• TypeCodeNew
• TypeCode_alignment
• TypeCode_equal
• TypeCode_param_count
• TypeCode_parameter
• TypeCode_copy
• TypeCode_free
• TypeCode_print
• TypeCode_setAlignment
• TypeCode_size

Parameters

tc (TypeCode)

The TypeCode to be examined.

env (Environment *)

A pointer to an Environment structure. The CORBA standard mandates the use of this structure as a standard way to return exception information when an error condition is detected.

Return

rc

Remarks

The TypeCode_print function can be used during program debugging to inspect the contents of a TypeCode. It prints (in a human-readable format) all of the information contained in the TypeCode. The format of the information shown by TypeCode_print is the same form that could be used by a C programmer to code the corresponding TypeCodeNew function call to create the TypeCode.

This function is a SOM-unique extension to the CORBA standard.

Related Information

• TypeCodeNew
• TypeCode_alignment
• TypeCode_equal
• TypeCode_kind
• TypeCode_param_count
• TypeCode_parameter
• TypeCode_copy
• TypeCode_free
• TypeCode_size
• TypeCode_setAlignment