Re: allocate memory 'inside' POD

From:
cppljevans@gmail.com
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.c++.moderated
Date:
Sun, 15 Apr 2012 18:19:34 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID:
<24477126.693.1334520294209.JavaMail.geo-discussion-forums@ynee1>
On Wednesday, April 11, 2012 3:35:40 PM UTC-5, Dave Abrahams wrote:

on Wed Apr 11 2012, cppljevans-AT-gmail.com wrote:

On Saturday, April 7, 2012 12:46:32 AM UTC-5, Dave Abrahams wrote:
[snip]

But if that makes you uneasy, consider:

     union foo
     {
         int nVals;
         boost::aligned_storage<
             sizeof(int),
             boost::alignment_of<double>::value
         >::type align;
     };

now you could treat the memory starting at &x+1 (where x is of type
foo) as an array of doubles:

[snip]
Hi Dave,

IIUC, the purpose of using aligned_storage with the
alignment_of arg is to make sure the union starts at an
alignment suitable for a double. However, since memory
for the nVals and the array of doubles is to be
allocated with new(as shown by the OP):

  foo * fooPtr = static_cast<foo *>(::operator new(memToAlloc));

and since new always (IIUC) returns memory allocated
at the maximum alignment, I'm wondering why the aligned_storage
and alignment_of are needed.


It ensures that (fooPtr+1) is aligned appropriately for storing doubles.

--

I had to think a little before I could understand why that
was important:

  sizeof(fooImpl<union_align>) == offsetof(fooImpl<struct_array>, vals)

where:
  fooImpl<union_align> is the foo you defined, and
  fooImpl<struct_array> is the foo define in OP.

What follows is an implementation of these two methods plus a third,
align_offset. However, I didn't really understand some of the
struct_array implementation; hence, that appears different
( in particular, the definition of fooPtrIncrement [which is
defined as a static function instead of variable]).

---{cut here---
//Purpose:
// Test various alternative implementations of code
// from post:
/*
 From: Thomas Mang
 Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++.moderated
 Subject: allocate memory 'inside' POD
 Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2012 11:33:40 -0700 (PDT)
 */
#include <cstdlib>
#include <iostream>
#include <ostream>
#include <new>

#include <boost/aligned_storage.hpp>

    typedef
  double
vals_type
  //type of elements in array
  ;
    typedef
  int
size_type
  //type of size of array
  ;
  enum
impl_enum
//enumeration of various implementations.
{ struct_array
, union_align
, align_offset
};
  char const*
impl_names[align_offset+1]=
{ "struct_array"
, "union_align"
, "align_offset"
};

  template
  < impl_enum ImplEnum
  >
  struct
alloc_in_pod_impl
  ;

  template
  <
  >
  struct
alloc_in_pod_impl
  < struct_array
  >
 //code based on that from:
 /*
 From: Thomas Mang
 Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++.moderated
 Subject: allocate memory 'inside' POD
 Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2012 11:33:40 -0700 (PDT)
  */
{
    struct foo
    {
        size_type nVals;
        vals_type vals[1]
          //Here actually nVals values shall occur.
          //This is done below with new expression.
          ;
    };
        static
      std::size_t const
    vals_offset
      = offsetof(foo,vals);
        static
      vals_type*
    get_vals(foo&a_foo)
    {
        return a_foo.vals;
    }
        static
      vals_type const*
    get_vals(foo const&a_foo)
    {
        return a_foo.vals;
    }
};//struct_array

  template
  <
  >
  struct
alloc_in_pod_impl
  < union_align
  >
//code based on that from:
/*
From: Dave Abrahams
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++.moderated
Subject: Re: allocate memory 'inside' POD
Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2012 22:46:32 -0700 (PDT)
 */
{
    union foo
    {
        size_type nVals;
        boost::aligned_storage<
            sizeof(int),
            boost::alignment_of<vals_type>::value
        >::type align;
    };
        static
      std::size_t const
    vals_offset
      = sizeof(foo)
      ;
        static
      vals_type*
    get_vals(foo&a_foo)
    {
        return static_cast<vals_type*>(static_cast<void*>(&a_foo+1));
    }
        static
      vals_type const*
    get_vals(foo const&a_foo)
    {
        return static_cast<vals_type const*>(static_cast<void const*>(&a_foo+1));
    }
};//union_align

//{The following #include files from:
// https://svn.boost.org/svn/boost/sandbox/variadic_templates
// /boost/composite_storage/alignment
#include <boost/composite_storage/alignment/aligned_offset.hpp>
//}

  template
  <
  >
  struct
alloc_in_pod_impl
  < align_offset
  >
{
    struct foo
    {
        size_type nVals;
    };
        static
      std::size_t const
    vals_offset
      = boost::composite_storage::alignment::aligned_offset
        < sizeof(foo)
        , boost::alignment_of<vals_type>::value
        >::value
      ;
        static
      vals_type*
    get_vals(foo&a_foo)
    {
        void*pv=&a_foo;
        char*pc=static_cast<char*>(pv);
        return static_cast<vals_type*>(static_cast<void*>(pc+vals_offset));
    }
        static
      vals_type const*
    get_vals(foo const&a_foo)
    {
        void const*pv=&a_foo;
        char const*pc=static_cast<char const*>(pv);
        return static_cast<vals_type const*>(static_cast<void const*>(pc+vals_offset));
    }
};//align_offset

  template
  < impl_enum ImplEnum
  >
  struct
alloc_in_pod_test
: alloc_in_pod_impl
  < ImplEnum
  >
{
        typedef
      alloc_in_pod_impl
      < ImplEnum
      >
    super_t
      ;
        typedef typename
      super_t::foo
    foo
      ;
        static
      std::size_t
    fooPtrIncrement( size_type n_vals)
    /**@brief
     * Size of structure containing:
     * a size_type
     * and
     * an array of n_vals of vals_type.
     */
    {
        std::size_t const space=super_t::vals_offset+sizeof(vals_type)*n_vals;
        return space;
    }
        static
      foo*
    foo_array( size_type n_vals, size_t n_foos)
    {
        void*mem=::operator new(fooPtrIncrement(n_vals)*n_foos);
        return static_cast<foo*>(mem);
    }
        static
      void
    print_foo(foo const & Foo)
    {
        vals_type const*vals=super_t::get_vals(Foo);
        for (size_type i = 0; i < Foo.nVals; ++i)
            std::cout << vals[i] << " ";
    }
        static
      foo*
    next(foo*a_foo)
    {
        void*pv=a_foo;
        char*pc=static_cast<char*>(pv);
        pc+=fooPtrIncrement(a_foo->nVals);
        pv=pc;
        return static_cast<foo*>(pv);
    }
        static
      foo const*
    next(foo const*a_foo)
    {
        void const*pv=a_foo;
        char const*pc=static_cast<char const*>(pv);
        pc+=fooPtrIncrement(a_foo->nVals);
        pv=pc;
        return static_cast<foo const*>(pv);
    }
        static
      void
    test( size_type nVals, size_type nFoos)
    {
        std::cout
          <<"alloc_in_pod_test<"
          <<impl_names[ImplEnum]
          <<">::test("
          <<nVals<<","
          <<nFoos<<"):\n";
        std::cout
          <<"vals_offset="<<super_t::vals_offset<<"\n";
        foo * const fooPtr = foo_array( nVals, nFoos);

        // 'create' nFoos foo objects and initialize their values
        foo * fooIter = fooPtr;
        for(size_type i = 0; i < nFoos; ++i, fooIter=next(fooIter))
        {
            fooIter->nVals = nVals;
            vals_type*vals=super_t::get_vals(*fooIter);
            for (size_type j = 0; j < nVals; ++j)
                vals[j] = i * 10.0 + j + j / 10.0;
        }

        // print them
        fooIter = fooPtr;
        for(size_type i = 0; i < nFoos; ++i, fooIter=next(fooIter))
        {
            print_foo(*fooIter);
            std::cout << std::endl;
        }

        ::operator delete(fooPtr);
    }
};

size_type main()
{

    size_type nVals = 6; // number of vals_type values per foo object
    size_type nFoos = 3; // number of foo objects to be created
    alloc_in_pod_test<struct_array>::test(nVals,nFoos);
    alloc_in_pod_test<union_align>::test(nVals,nFoos);
    alloc_in_pod_test<align_offset>::test(nVals,nFoos);
    return 0;
}

---}cut here---

-regards,
Larry

--
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