Crate ocaml_interop

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Zinc-iron alloy coating is used in parts that need very good corrosion protection.

API IS CONSIDERED UNSTABLE AT THE MOMENT AND IS LIKELY TO CHANGE IN THE FUTURE

ocaml-interop is an OCaml<->Rust FFI with an emphasis on safety inspired by caml-oxide, ocaml-rs and CAMLroot.

§Table of Contents

§Usage

§The OCaml runtime handle

The OCaml runtime handle is represented by a OCamlRuntime value. To be able to use of the capabilities offered by the OCaml runtime, access to this handle is required. The handle is first obtained when calling OCamlRuntime::init to initialize the OCaml runtime. Rust functions called form OCaml will also receive a &mut OCamlRuntime as their first argument.

This OCaml runtime handle must belong to a single thread, and passed around (moved or as a &mut reference) to any code that needs access to the OCaml runtime.

Un-rooted non-immediate OCaml values have a lifetime associated to the OCaml runtime handle, and will become stale once the OCaml runtime is mutably borrowed.

§OCaml value representation

OCaml values are exposed to Rust using three types:

  • OCaml<'gc, T> is the representation of OCaml values in Rust. These values become stale after calls into the OCaml runtime and must be re-referenced.
  • BoxRoot<T> is a container for an OCaml<T> value that is rooted and tracked by OCaml’s Garbage Collector.
  • OCamlRef<'a, T> is a reference to an OCaml<T> value that may or may not be rooted.

§Converting between OCaml and Rust data

§FromOCaml trait

The FromOCaml trait implements conversion from OCaml values into Rust values, using the from_ocaml function.

OCaml<T> values have a to_rust() method that is usually more convenient than Type::from_ocaml(ocaml_value), and works for any combination that implements the FromOCaml trait.

OCamlRef<T> values have a to_rust(cr) that needs an OCamlRuntime reference to be passed to it.

§ToOCaml trait

The ToOCaml trait implements conversion from Rust values into OCaml values, using the to_ocaml method. It takes a single parameter that must be a &mut OCamlRuntime.

§Calling convention

There are two possible calling conventions in regards to rooting, one with callee rooted arguments, and another with caller rooted arguments.

§Callee rooted arguments calling convention

With this calling convention, values that are arguments to a function call are passed directly. Functions that receive arguments are responsible for rooting them. This is how OCaml’s C API and ocaml-interop versions before 0.5.0 work.

§Caller rooted arguments calling convention

With this calling convention, values that are arguments to a function call must be rooted by the caller. Then instead of the value, it is the root pointing to the value that is passed as an argument. This is how ocaml-interop works starting with version 0.5.0.

When a Rust function is called from OCaml, it will receive arguments as OCamlRef<T> values, and when a OCaml function is called from Rust, arguments will be passed as OCamlRef<T> values.

§Return values

When an OCaml function is called from Rust, the return value is a BoxRoot<T>.

Rust functions that are meant to be called from OCaml must return OCaml<T> values.

§OCaml exceptions

If an OCaml function called from Rust raises an exception, this will result in a panic.

OCaml functions meant to be called from Rust should not raise exceptions to signal errors, but instead return result or option values, which can then be mapped into Result and Option values in Rust.

§Calling into OCaml from Rust

The following code defines two OCaml functions and registers them using the Callback.register mechanism:

let increment_bytes bytes first_n =
  let limit = (min (Bytes.length bytes) first_n) - 1 in
  for i = 0 to limit do
    let value = (Bytes.get_uint8 bytes i) + 1 in
    Bytes.set_uint8 bytes i value
  done;
  bytes

let twice x = 2 * x

let () =
  Callback.register "increment_bytes" increment_bytes;
  Callback.register "twice" twice

To be able to call these from Rust, there are a few things that need to be done:

  • Rust-driven programs must initialize the OCaml runtime.
  • Functions that were exported from the OCaml side with Callback.register have to be declared using the ocaml! macro.

§Example

use ocaml_interop::{
    BoxRoot, FromOCaml, OCaml, OCamlInt, OCamlRef, ToOCaml, OCamlRuntime
};

// To call an OCaml function, it first has to be declared inside an `ocaml!` macro block:
mod ocaml_funcs {
    use ocaml_interop::{ocaml, OCamlInt};

    ocaml! {
        // OCaml: `val increment_bytes: bytes -> int -> bytes`
        // registered with `Callback.register "increment_bytes" increment_bytes`.
        // In Rust, this will be exposed as:
        //     pub fn increment_bytes(
        //         _: &mut OCamlRuntime,
        //         bytes: OCamlRef<String>,
        //         first_n: OCamlRef<OCamlInt>,
        //     ) -> BoxRoot<String>;
        pub fn increment_bytes(bytes: String, first_n: OCamlInt) -> String;
        // OCaml: `val twice: int -> int`
        // registered with `Callback.register "twice" twice`.
        // In Rust this will be exposed as:
        //     pub fn twice(
        //         _: &mut OCamlRuntime,
        //         num: OCamlRef<OCamlInt>,
        //     ) -> BoxRoot<OCamlInt>;
        pub fn twice(num: OCamlInt) -> OCamlInt;
    }
}

fn increment_bytes(
    cr: &mut OCamlRuntime,
    bytes1: String,
    bytes2: String,
    first_n: usize,
) -> (String, String) {
    // Any calls into the OCaml runtime takes as input a `&mut` reference to an `OCamlRuntime`
    // value that is obtained as the result of initializing the OCaml runtime with the
    // `OCamlRuntime::init()` call.
    // The `ToOCaml` trait provides the `to_ocaml` and `to_boxroot` methods to convert Rust
    // values into OCaml values.
    // Here `to_boxroot` is used to produce OCaml values that are already rooted.
    let ocaml_bytes1_rooted: BoxRoot<String> = bytes1.to_boxroot(cr);
    let ocaml_bytes2_rooted = bytes2.to_boxroot(cr);

    // Rust `i64` integers can be converted into OCaml fixnums with `OCaml::of_i64`
    // and `OCaml::of_i64_unchecked`.
    // Such conversion doesn't require any allocation on the OCaml side, and doesn't
    // invalidate other `OCaml<T>` values. In addition, these immediate values require rooting.
    let ocaml_first_n: OCaml<'static, OCamlInt> =
        unsafe { OCaml::of_i64_unchecked(first_n as i64) };

    // Any OCaml function (declared above in a `ocaml!` block) can be called as a regular
    // Rust function, by passing a `&mut OCamlRuntime` as the first argument, followed by
    // the rest of the arguments declared for that function.
    // Arguments to these functions must be `OCamlRef<T>` values. These are the result of
    // dereferencing `OCaml<T>` and `BoxRoot<T>` values.
    let result1 = ocaml_funcs::increment_bytes(
        cr,                   // &mut OCamlRuntime
        &ocaml_bytes1_rooted, // OCamlRef<String>
        &ocaml_first_n,       // OCamlRef<OCamlInt>
    );

    let result2 = ocaml_funcs::increment_bytes(
        cr,
        &ocaml_bytes2_rooted,
        &ocaml_first_n,
    );

    (result1.to_rust(cr), result2.to_rust(cr))
}

fn twice(cr: &mut OCamlRuntime, num: usize) -> usize {
    let ocaml_num = unsafe { OCaml::of_i64_unchecked(num as i64) };
    let result = ocaml_funcs::twice(cr, &ocaml_num);
    result.to_rust::<i64>(cr) as usize
}

fn entry_point() {
    // IMPORTANT: the OCaml runtime has to be initialized first.
    let mut cr = OCamlRuntime::init();
    // `cr` is the OCaml runtime handle, must be passed to any function
    // that interacts with the OCaml runtime.
    let first_n = twice(&mut cr, 5);
    let bytes1 = "000000000000000".to_owned();
    let bytes2 = "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa".to_owned();
    println!("Bytes1 before: {}", bytes1);
    println!("Bytes2 before: {}", bytes2);
    let (result1, result2) = increment_bytes(&mut cr, bytes1, bytes2, first_n);
    println!("Bytes1 after: {}", result1);
    println!("Bytes2 after: {}", result2);
    // `OCamlRuntime`'s `Drop` implementation will pefrorm the necessary cleanup
    // to shutdown the OCaml runtime.
}

§Calling into Rust from OCaml

To be able to call a Rust function from OCaml, it has to be defined in a way that exposes it to OCaml. This can be done with the ocaml_export! macro.

§Example
use ocaml_interop::{
    ocaml_export, FromOCaml, OCamlInt, OCaml, OCamlBytes,
    OCamlRef, ToOCaml,
};

// `ocaml_export` expands the function definitions by adding `pub` visibility and
// the required `#[no_mangle]` and `extern` declarations. It also takes care of
// acquiring the OCaml runtime handle and binding it to the name provided as
// the first parameter of the function.
ocaml_export! {
    // The first parameter is a name to which the GC frame handle will be bound to.
    // The remaining parameters must have type `OCamlRef<T>`, and the return
    // value `OCaml<T>`.
    fn rust_twice(cr, num: OCamlRef<OCamlInt>) -> OCaml<OCamlInt> {
        let num: i64 = num.to_rust(cr);
        unsafe { OCaml::of_i64_unchecked(num * 2) }
    }

    fn rust_increment_bytes(
        cr,
        bytes: OCamlRef<OCamlBytes>,
        first_n: OCamlRef<OCamlInt>,
    ) -> OCaml<OCamlBytes> {
        let first_n: i64 = first_n.to_rust(cr);
        let first_n = first_n as usize;
        let mut vec: Vec<u8> = bytes.to_rust(cr);

        for i in 0..first_n {
            vec[i] += 1;
        }

        vec.to_ocaml(cr)
    }
}

Then in OCaml, these functions can be referred to in the same way as C functions:

external rust_twice: int -> int = "rust_twice"
external rust_increment_bytes: bytes -> int -> bytes = "rust_increment_bytes"

Modules§

Macros§

Structs§

  • BoxRoot<T> is a container for a rooted OCaml<T> value.
  • OCaml<DynBox<T>> is for passing a value of type T to OCaml
  • Representation of OCaml values.
  • OCaml<OCamlBytes> is a reference to an OCaml bytes value.
  • OCaml<OCamlException> is a reference to an OCaml exn value.
  • OCaml<OCamlFloat> is a reference to an OCaml float (boxed float) value.
  • OCaml<OCamlFloatArray<T>> is a reference to an OCaml floatarray which is an array containing floats in an unboxed form.
  • OCaml<OCamlInt32> is a reference to an OCaml Int32.t (boxed int32) value.
  • OCaml<OCamlInt64> is a reference to an OCaml Int64.t (boxed int64) value.
  • OCaml<OCamlList<T>> is a reference to an OCaml list containing values of type T.
  • OCaml runtime handle.
  • OCaml<OCamlUniformArray<T>> is a reference to an OCaml array which is guaranteed to not contain unboxed floats. If OCaml was configured with --disable-flat-float-array this corresponds to regular arrays, but if not, Uniform_array.t in the base library can be used instead. See Lexifi’s blog post on the topic for more details.

Traits§

  • Implements conversion from OCaml values into Rust values.
  • Implements conversion from Rust values into OCaml values.

Functions§

Type Aliases§

  • OCaml function that accepts one argument.
  • OCaml function that accepts two arguments.
  • OCaml function that accepts three arguments.
  • OCaml function that accepts four arguments.
  • OCaml function that accepts five arguments.
  • OCaml<OCamlInt> is an OCaml integer (tagged and unboxed) value.
  • An OCamlRef<T> is a reference to a location containing a OCaml<T> value.
  • OCaml value type