Hi Markku. You have correctly diagnosed the problem that the initially set global variables "are not stable". In your call to myinit, you store a C-level reference to the var and func R objects. But you need to tell R's memory management that you need to hold onto them. Otherwise it is entitled to garbage collect them as it feels fit. In the C-code for myinit, you might add calls
R_PreserveObject(myfunction)
R_PreserveObject(myvariable)
that is defined in Rinternals.h. These go after
you assign values to your global variables.
You are PROTECT()'ing these variables only in the call
to myexec.
D.
Markku Mielityinen wrote:
> Hello Group,
>
> I could use an advice on how SEXP handles work. My aim is to implement a
> system where I initially set a few global variables that are used for
> communication between C and R code. Then I do some work with R code and
> periodically call a function of my own that will update the system
> state. Such a design is useful for many purposes (for GUIs to name one).
> I am not entirely sure that R can handle such a design but at the moment
> I cannot see any reasons why it could not. The problem I have is that
> the initially set global variables are not stable. Everything works for
> a while but eventually the system gets confused. It seems that the SEXP
> references to the state variables and to the callback functions may get
> altered and become pointing to some other variables. This will then
> rightfully give me the error messages like "attempt to apply
> non-function". My (maybe uneducated) guess is that this might have
> something to do with R memory management. The variables are connected to
> the namespace so a do not think they are removed. Maybe they are moved
> is such a way that my SEXP references are not able to follow. As you can
> see I am on thin ice here so please feel welcome to step in...
>
> My librtary contains ~20k lines of C code so I would not consider a bug
> here out of the question. I have tried to look for one but until now
> without success.
>
> My question is: can you see a design flaw here or is everything done
> according to R requirements and hence it is likely that there is a bug
> in my own code?
>
> One dirty correction I can see but have not tried is to use object names
> and findVar but this would make it less flexible (at least IMHO).
>
> I have quickly browsed the forums and the documentation I was able to
> find but found no answers.
>
> My system is FC3 with R version >= 2.
>
> There are two snippets of code that hopefully make clear what I am
> trying to achieve. The code is provided for illustration purposes only
> and I did not try to compile it.
>
> Best regards,
> Markku Mielityinen
>
>
> # C CODE
> #####################################################################
>
> SEXP myrho = R_GlobalEnv;
> SEXP myvariable = R_NilValue;
> SEXP myfunction = R_NilValue;
>
> SEXP myinit(SEXP var, SEXP func) {
> myvariable = var;
> myfunction = func;
> return R_NilValue;
> }
>
> SEXP myexec(/* probably has some parameters that are omitted in this
> example */) {
> int state;
> SEXP thecall;
>
> /* do some work, then set the state and call a callback function
> if necessary */
>
> PROTECT(myvariable);
> INTEGER(myvariable)[0] = state;
> UNPROTECT(1);
> if(state) {
> PROTECT(thecall = LCONS(myfunction, LCONS(myvariable,
> R_NilValue)));
> eval(thecall, myrho);
> UNPROTECT(1);
> }
>
> return R_NilValue;
> }
>
> ########################################################################
> ########
>
> # R CODE
> #####################################################################
>
> myinit<-function(var,func) .Call("myinit",var,func)
> myexec<-function() .Call("myexec")
>
> state<-as.integer(1)
> callback<-function(state) { cat(sprintf("You got state %s\n",state)) }
>
> myinit()
> # do some work here and call myexec() periodically...
>
> ########################################################################
> ########
>
> ______________________________________________
> R-devel@r-project.org mailing list
> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-devel
--
Duncan Temple Lang [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Department of Statistics work: (530) 752-4782
371 Kerr Hall fax: (530) 752-7099
One Shields Ave.
University of California at Davis
Davis, CA 95616, USA
pgpeto7wdENhY.pgp
Description: PGP signature
______________________________________________ R-devel@r-project.org mailing list https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-devel
