Why can't I create a MacOS framework with unresolved symbols? - xcode

I thought one feature of dynamic libraries (and by extension Apple's Mach-O Frameworks) was to leave some symbols (methods) undefined until the using application gets linked, but it appears all symbols have to be resolved for clang++ to successfully build a Framework.
For example, in building a framework for flight simulations, one might leave a C routine named aero undefined (but with an 'extern aero()' specification.) But XCode 4.2 refuses to build the framework, calling _aero an "undefined symbol."
Here's the header file included by both Objective-C and ANSI-C routines:
// FlightVehicleCAdapter_data.h
#ifndef FlightVehicleCAdapter_data_h
#define FlightVehicleCAdapter_data_h
#ifdef __cplusplus
external "C" {
#endif
extern void aero( void );
#ifdef __cplusplus
}
#endif
And here is where it gets called:
// FlightVehicleCAdapter.m
-(void) calcAero {
aero();
[self setBodyAeroForce_lb: [lsVector3 vectorFromScalarX:fv_data->f_aero_v.x
Y:fv_data->f_aero_v.y
Z:fv_data->f_aero_v.z]];
[self setBodyAeroMoment_ftlb:[lsVector3 vectorFromScalarX:fv_data->m_aero_v.x
Y:fv_data->m_aero_v.y
Z:fv_data->m_aero_v.z]];
}
I had hoped to be able to define the real aero() routine in the application that would link this framework, but when trying to build the framework itself the linker refuses to build it without a concrete aero() implementation:
Undefined symbols for architecture [i386|x86_64]:
"_aero", referenced from:
-[FlightVehicleCAdapter calcAero] in FlightVehicleCAdapter.o
So I then defined a dummy aero() routine:
// dummy_aero.c
// not showing fv_data structure definition for clarity
void aero(void){
fv_data->f_aero_v.x = 0.0;
fv_data->f_aero_v.y = 0.0;
fv_data->f_aero_v.z = 0.0;
fv_data->m_aero_v.x = 0.0;
fv_data->m_aero_v.y = 0.0;
fv_data->m_aero_v.z = 0.0;
}
This definition of aero() satisfies clang++ such that the Mach-O framework (dynamic library) is successfully built. But when I link the resulting framework with the application target which includes a non-trivial aero() routine, the framework's dummy aero() is being called instead of the application's aero().

You need to pass the -bundle_loader <executable> option to the linker, although I'm not sure that works for frameworks. Alternatively, you can use -undefined dynamic_lookup.

You need to do this for aero():
#ifdef __cplusplus
extern "C" {
#endif
extern void aero( void );
#ifdef __cplusplus
}
#endif
This makes sure the function is declared in C++ to have a C-resolvable name. C++ builds names differently than C does.
Note that then aero() can be linked at runtime.

Related

Create a static Ada-Library which can be linked without gnat-tools

I want to Create a Static-Library from Ada-Code and deploy it to Developers without the GNAT-Toolchain (for C/C++ Code).
I will get following Linker-Errors when I try to Link Ada-Library ('.a') with a C-Program:
undefined reference to `__gnat_rcheck_CE_Overflow_Check'
undefined reference to `ada__text_io__put_line__2'
How can I achieve this ? It seams that I should link against the Runtime-library, but how ?
Test-Code:
main.c:
#include <stdio.h>
extern void adaTest();
extern int add5(int);
int main(){
adaTest();
int b = add5(2);
printf("--> %d \ndone.\n", b);
return 0;
}
ada_lib_project.gpr:
library project ada_lib_project is
for Languages use ("Ada");
for Library_Name use "My_Ada_Lib";
for Library_Dir use "my_generated_lib";
for Library_Kind use "Static";
end ada_lib_project;
adatestpacket.ads:
with Interfaces.C; use Interfaces.C;
package adatestpacket is
procedure adatest with
Export, Convention => C, External_Name => "adaTest";
function add5(x: in int) return int with
Export, Convention => C, External_Name => "add5";
end adatestpacket;
adatestpacket.adb:
with Ada.Text_IO; use Ada.Text_IO;
with Interfaces.C; use Interfaces.C;
package body adatestpacket is
procedure adatest is
begin
Put_Line("This is executed ADA/SPARK-Code...");
null;
end adatest;
function add5(x: in int) return int is
begin
return x + 5;
end add5;
end adatestpacket;
Compiling:
gcc -c main.c -o main.o # .c -> .o
gprbuild -P ada_lib_project.gpr # .ad[sb] -> .a
gcc main.o -L my_generated_lib -l My_Ada_Lib -o a.out # Linking -- with undefined References
Probably the easiest way to do this is to simply also compile the C source with gprbuild (even if you can't do that in your target scenario, you can do it for testing and see with -v what GPRbuild does to get it to work):
with "ada_lib_project";
project My_Executable is
for Languages use ("C");
for Main use ("main.c");
end My_Executable;
You will also need to call adainit and adafinal to initialize / finalizate Ada packages:
#include <stdio.h>
extern void adainit();
extern void adafinal();
extern void adaTest();
extern int add5(int);
int main(){
adainit();
adaTest();
int b = add5(2);
printf("--> %d \ndone.\n", b);
adafinal();
return 0;
}
adainit and adafinal are generated by gnatbind for standalone libraries. I am not entirely sure whether GPRBuild takes care of this when seeing that you use an Ada library from a C executable; if not you'll need
package Binder is
for Default_Switches ("Ada") use ("-n");
end Binder;
in your library. After doing this, you should be able to do
gprbuild my_executable.gpr
If you want to do it without GPRbuild, the -n/adainit/adafinal part still applies and you need to link your executable with
-l<your-gnat-lib>
where <your-gnat-lib> is the Ada standard library of your GNAT version; last time I did this, it was something like gnat-2021. You may need to add a -L<directory-containing-that-lib> depending on where it's located.
(there may be mistakes in this answer since I cannot currently test it due to being on an M1)
Edit: If you really want to supply developers without any access to GNAT, you need to build an encapsulated, i.e. dynamic, library. This answer covers that process. If providing a static library is a requirement, you have to at least supply the GNAT standard library file.
For anyone whose interested in a Working-Implementation, these are the Changes from my Question:
main.c:
#include <stdio.h>
extern void adainit();
extern void adafinal();
extern void adaTest();
extern int add5(int);
int main(){
adainit();
adaTest();
int b = add5(2);
printf("--> %d \ndone.\n", b);
adafinal();
return 0;
}
ada_lib_project.gpr:
library project ada_lib_project is
for Languages use ("Ada");
for Library_Name use "My_Ada_Lib";
for Library_Dir use "my_generated_lib";
for Library_Kind use "static-pic";
for Library_Interface use ("adatestpacket");
package Binder is
-- "-Lada" set "ada" as Prefix for "init" and "final" Function
for Default_Switches ("Ada") use ("-n","-Lada");
end Binder;
end ada_lib_project;
Compiling:
gprbuild -P ada_lib_project.gpr # .adb -> .a
gcc main.c -L my_generated_lib -l My_Ada_Lib -l gnat_pic -ldl
For the last Command, I just need to Transfer the Library (My_Ada_Lib) and the Runtime (libgnat_pic.a) from GNAT/2021/lib/gcc/x86_64-pc-linux-gnu/10.3.1/rts-native/adalib to the remote Machine.
I have generated static binaries with -static. I don't know if something similar can work while generating your library or you will also need to have the GNAT runtime for linking with the C/C++ tools.

C++ shared library symbols versioning

I'm trying to create library with two versions of the same function using
__asm__(".symver ......
approach
library.h
#ifndef CTEST_H
#define CTEST_H
int first(int x);
int second(int x);
#endif
library.cpp
#include "simple.h"
#include <stdio.h>
__asm__(".symver first_1_0,first#LIBSIMPLE_1.0");
int first_1_0(int x)
{
printf("lib: %s\n", __FUNCTION__);
return x + 1;
}
__asm__(".symver first_2_0,first##LIBSIMPLE_2.0");
int first_2_0(int x)
{
int y;
printf("lib: %d\n", y);
printf("lib: %s\n", __FUNCTION__);
return (x + 1) * 1000;
}
int second(int x)
{
printf("lib: %s\n", __FUNCTION__);
return x + 2;
}
And here is the version scripf file
LIBSIMPLE_1.0{
global:
first; second;
local:
*;
};
LIBSIMPLE_2.0{
global:
first;
local:
*;
};
When build library using gcc, everything works well, and i am able to link to a library binary. Using nm tool i see that both first() and second() function symbols are exported.
Now, when i try to use g++, non of the symbols are exported.
So i tried to use extern "C" directive to wrap both declarations
extern "C" {
int first(int x);
int second(int x);
}
nm shows that second() function symbol is exported, but first() still remain unexported, and mangled.
What is here i am missing to make this to work? Or it is impossible with the c++ compiler to achieve this?
I don't know why, with 'extern "C"', 'first' was not exported - suspect there is something else interfering.
Otherwise C++ name mangling is certainly a pain here. The 'asm' directives (AFAIK) require the mangled names for C++ functions, not the simple 'C' name. So 'int first(int)' would need to be referenced as (e.g.) '_Z5firsti' instead of just 'first'. This is, of course, a real pain as far as portability goes...
The linker map file is more forgiving as its supported 'extern "C++" {...}' blocks to list C++ symbols in their as-written form - 'int first(int)'.
This whole process is a maintainance nightmare. What I'd really like would be a function attribute which could be used to specify the alias and version...
Just to add a reminder that C++11 now supports inline namespaces which can be used to provide symbol versioning in C++.

Steps to make a loadable DLL of some tcl methods in Visual Studio

I want to create a loadable DLL of some of my tcl methods. But I am not getting how to do this. For that I have taken a simple example of tcl api which adds two numbers and prints the sum. Now I want to create a loadable DLL for this to export this tcl functionality.
But I am not understanding how to do it in Visual Studio. I have written a C code which can call this tcl api and get the sum of two integers, but again I don't want it to do this way. I want to create a DLL file to use this tcl functionality. How can I create this DLL on Visual Studio 2010.
Below is my sample tcl program that I am using:
#!/usr/bin/env tclsh8.5
proc add_two_nos { } {
set a 10
set b 20
set c [expr { $a + $b } ]
puts " c is $c ......."
}
And here is the C code which can use this tcl functionality :
#include <tcl.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
int main(int argc, char **argv) {
Tcl_Interp *interp;
int code;
char *result;
Tcl_FindExecutable(argv[0]);
interp = Tcl_CreateInterp();
code = Tcl_Eval(interp, "source myscript.tcl; add_two_nos");
/* Retrieve the result... */
result = Tcl_GetString(Tcl_GetObjResult(interp));
/* Check for error! If an error, message is result. */
if (code == TCL_ERROR) {
fprintf(stderr, "ERROR in script: %s\n", result);
exit(1);
}
/* Print (normal) result if non-empty; we'll skip handling encodings for now */
if (strlen(result)) {
printf("%s\n", result);
}
/* Clean up */
Tcl_DeleteInterp(interp);
exit(0);
}
I have successfully compiled this code with the below command
gcc simple_addition_wrapper_new.c -I/usr/include/tcl8.5/ -ltcl8.5 -o simple_addition_op
The above code is working with the expected output.
What steps do I need to take to create a loadable dll for this in Visual Studio 2010?
If you look at the answers to this question: here it gives the basic outline of the process you need to go through. There are links from my answer to some Microsoft MSDN articles on creating DLLs.
To go into this in a little more detail for a C++ dll that has Tcl embedded in it.
The first step is to create a new visual studio project with the correct type, one that is going to build a dll that exports symbols. My example project is called TclEmbeddedInDll and that name appears in code in symbols such as TCLEMBEDDEDINDLL_API that are generated by Visual Studio.
The dllmain.cpp look like this:
// dllmain.cpp : Defines the entry point for the DLL application.
#include "stdafx.h"
BOOL APIENTRY DllMain( HMODULE hModule,
DWORD ul_reason_for_call,
LPVOID lpReserved
)
{
switch (ul_reason_for_call)
{
case DLL_PROCESS_ATTACH:
{
allocInterp() ;
break ;
}
case DLL_THREAD_ATTACH:
break ;
case DLL_THREAD_DETACH:
break ;
case DLL_PROCESS_DETACH:
{
destroyInterp() ;
break;
}
}
return TRUE;
}
The allocInterp() and destroyInterp() functions are defined in the TclEmbeddedInDll.h, the reason for using functions here rather than creating the Tcl_Interp directly is that it keeps the details about Tcl away from the DLL interface. If you create the interp here then you have to include tcl.h and then things get complicated when you try and use the DLL in another program.
The TclEmbeddedInDll.h and .cpp are shown next, the function fnTclEmbeddedInDll() is the one that is exported from the DLL - I'm using C linkage for this rather than C++ as it makes it easier to call the function from other languages IMHO.
// The following ifdef block is the standard way of creating macros which make exporting
// from a DLL simpler. All files within this DLL are compiled with the TCLEMBEDDEDINDLL_EXPORTS
// symbol defined on the command line. This symbol should not be defined on any project
// that uses this DLL. This way any other project whose source files include this file see
// TCLEMBEDDEDINDLL_API functions as being imported from a DLL, whereas this DLL sees symbols
// defined with this macro as being exported.
#ifdef TCLEMBEDDEDINDLL_EXPORTS
#define TCLEMBEDDEDINDLL_API __declspec(dllexport)
#else
#define TCLEMBEDDEDINDLL_API __declspec(dllimport)
#endif
extern "C" {
TCLEMBEDDEDINDLL_API void fnTclEmbeddedInDll(void);
}
void allocInterp() ;
void destroyInterp() ;
// TclEmbeddedInDll.cpp : Defines the exported functions for the DLL application.
//
#include "stdafx.h"
extern "C" {
static Tcl_Interp *interp ;
// This is an example of an exported function.
TCLEMBEDDEDINDLL_API void fnTclEmbeddedInDll(void)
{
int code;
const char *result;
code = Tcl_Eval(interp, "source simple_addition.tcl; add_two_nos");
result = Tcl_GetString(Tcl_GetObjResult(interp));
}
}
void allocInterp()
{
Tcl_FindExecutable(NULL);
interp = Tcl_CreateInterp();
}
void destroyInterp()
{
Tcl_DeleteInterp(interp);
}
The implementation of allocInterp() and destroyInterp() is very naive, no error checking is done.
Finally for the Dll the stdafx.h file ties it all together like this:
// stdafx.h : include file for standard system include files,
// or project specific include files that are used frequently, but
// are changed infrequently
//
#pragma once
#include "targetver.h"
#define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN // Exclude rarely-used stuff from Windows headers
// Windows Header Files:
#include <windows.h>
// TODO: reference additional headers your program requires here
#include <tcl.h>
#include "TclEmbeddedInDll.h"

__stdcall without any decoration

I have a .dll I suspect uses __stdcall functions, but totally undecorated names (not even an underscore or # sign). I wrote a .def file for it with aliases like
func1 = func1
func1#4 = func1
but I think lib (which I am using to create the import library from the .def file) is ignoring the aliases (the linker still says func1#4 is undefined)
How can I create an import library that will map func1#4 to func1?
I don't know if it possible to create right .lib file with lib.exe, so I suggest to create a DLL with stubs of functions exported by original DLL.
Example dll.cpp file:
void __stdcall foo(int) {}
dll.def file:
EXPORTS
foo=foo
Then you compile it, from IDE, or command line:
cl dll.cpp /link /dll /def:dll.def /noentry
It will create correct dll.lib file, so you can use it with code like this:
void __stdcall foo(int);
#pragma comment(lib, "dll")
int main()
{
foo(42);
}
You should be declaring the function prototype as extern "C" as you are (obviously) compiling with in C++ mode:
extern "C" void func1(void); // correct prototype, add __stdcall if necessary?
You can wrap entire sections of a header file inside
extern "C" {
// ... C compatible declarations
}

Visual Studio, MSBuild: First build after a clean fails, following builds succeed

There's obviously something wrong with my build, but I can't figure it out. I narrowed this down to one of my projects: first build after clean fails, all following builds succeed.
I get linking errors which say that some symbols are already defined:
>------ Build started: Project: Problem, Configuration: Debug Win32 ------
> Blah blah blah...
23> Creating library D:\SVN.DRA.WorkingCopy\Debug\Problem.lib and object D:\SVN.DRA.WorkingCopy\Debug\Problem.exp
23>ProblemDependency1.lib(PD1.obj) : error LNK2005: "public: unsigned short __thiscall PD2Class::getFoo(void)const " (?getFoo#PD2Class##QBEGXZ) already defined in ProblemDependecy2.lib(ProblemDependency2.dll)
23>ProblemDependency1.lib(PD1.obj) : error LNK2005: "public: void __thiscall PD2Class2::`default constructor closure'(void)" (??_FPD2Class2#Image#DRA##QAEXXZ) already defined in ProblemDependency2.lib(ProblemDependency2.dll)
23>D:\SVN.DRA.WorkingCopy\Debug\Problem.dll : fatal error LNK1169: one or more multiply defined symbols found
Problem is a C++/CLI project, built with the /clr switch, which references the unmanaged C++ projects ProblemDependency1, a static lib, and ProblemDependency2, a dll.
ProblemDependency1 references ProblemDependency2.
getFoo() is declared as inline and defined outside of the class declaration, in the .h
PD2Class2 doesn't have an explicitly defined default constructor, but it has a constructor which has all default arguments, so you could say it includes the default constructor as a special case
The .h's where these are defined have #pragma once as their first line.
Any hint on troubleshooting this? I can post more info if needed
Update: I solved the first error thanks to Anders Abel's suggestion, but I still can't solve the second one (the one about the default constructor)
Update: If I compile using MSBuild outside Visual Studio, it fails always, with the same error
Edit: Here's some code. First, a bit of PD2Class2's declaration. PD2Class2's real name is CImage (feeling lazy to anonymize), CImage.h:
#pragma once
#pragma warning( disable: 4251 ) //TODO: Disable and solve
#include "ImageProperties.h"
#include "../CommonCppLibrary/CriticalSection.h"
#include <windows.h>
#include <stdexcept>
#include <string>
class CSharedMemory;
class EmptyImageException;
struct IShape;
struct SImageStatics {
unsigned short low3Percentile;
unsigned short high97Percentile;
unsigned short medianPixelValue;
unsigned short meanPixelValue;
unsigned short minPixelValue;
unsigned short maxPixelValue;
};
namespace DRA{
namespace Image{
class __declspec(dllexport) CImage {
friend class CImageLock;
//Attributes
int m_iPitch;
protected:
mutable CImageProperties m_cProperties;
CSharedMemory * m_pSharedMemmory;
mutable DRA::CommonCpp::CCriticalSection m_csData;
static const float PIXEL_FREQUENCY_COVERAGE;
static const float PIXEL_CUTOFF_PERCENTAGE;
static const int MINIMUM_PIXEL_FREQUENCY; //Pixels with a frequency lower than this are ignored
static const int MINIMUM_WINDOW_WIDTH_FOR_16_BITS;
//Methods
//Some private methods
public:
CImage( DWORD dwWidth = 0, DWORD dwHeight = 0, ULONG uBytesPerPixel = 0,
bool isSigned = false, EPhotometricInterpretation ePI = PI_UNKNOWN,
UINT bitsStored = 0, float pw = -1.0f, float ph = -1.0f, BYTE * pData = NULL );
CImage( const CImageProperties& cProperties, int iPitch = 0 );
CImage( const CImage& rImage );
virtual ~CImage();
virtual CImage& operator=( const CImage& );
bool operator==( const CImage& rImage );
//Alter State
//More methods
//Query State
//More methods
};
}
}
Next, the constructor's definition, from CImage.cpp:
CImage::CImage( DWORD dwWidth, DWORD dwHeight, ULONG uBytesPerPixel, bool isSigned,
EPhotometricInterpretation ePI, UINT bitsStored, float pw, float ph,
BYTE * pData ) :
m_iPitch( dwWidth * uBytesPerPixel ),
m_cProperties( dwWidth, dwHeight, uBytesPerPixel, bitsStored, ePI, isSigned, pw, ph ),
m_pSharedMemmory( NULL ),
m_csData(){
m_pSharedMemmory = new CSharedMemory( pData ? pData : new BYTE[getSize()] );
}
Is getFoo() marked as __declspec(dllexport)? If it is an inline function, it is instantiated/used from wherever it is called through the included header. It shouldn't be part of the functions that the dll exports and it should not have a dllexport directive.
__declspec(dllexport) might be handled through a macro that is expanded to dllexport or dllimport depending on if it is the dll or code using the dll that is compiled. If there is any macro in the function declaration you might have to dig into it to find if there is an export directive.
Update
I think that if the header file is used both when the dll is built and when the dll is used, it is incorrect to have __declspec(dllexport) in the header file. Instead use a macro system:
#ifdef PROBLEMDEPENDENCY2
#define DLLEXPORT __declspec(dllexport)
#else
#define DLLEXPORT __declspec(dllimport)
#endif
class DLLEXPORT CImage
{
//...
}
Then define the PROBLEMDEPENDENCY2 preprocessor symbol when building the dll, but not when using it. The problem with hardcoding __declspec(dllexport) in the header file is that the compiler will try to export the class both from ProblemDependency2 (which is correct) and from ProblemDependency1 (which is incorrect).
Just something I've run into recently to check:
Are you building on a network volume? I had been having problems with not being able to debug my applications because the .pdb file was not "there" after the build and before the debug launch due to latency in the SAN that I was working on as a build directory.
Once I moved the project build to a local volume, everything was fine.
Don't know if that's what's happening to you or not, but something I'd look into.
I dont' have much c++ experience, but problems like this in other .NET languages, often result from having a DLL reference to another project in the same solution (to the DLL in the "obj" or "bin" folder of the other project, instead of a project reference. This stops Visual Studio from being able to figure out the build order, and, hence, the first time after a "clean", you will not have the DLL you are depending on. On the second build, this DLL will already have been built, and the build will succeed.

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