documented the API

include/cow.h

@@ -6,14 +6,23 @@
 // Copy-on-write mapped memory.
 typedef struct cow cow_t, *cow;
 
+/// Create a new copy-on-write area of `size` bytes. 
+/// Writes to this instance pointer (`cow_ptr()`) are written to the allocated memory.
+/// Writes to any cloned instances do not propagate to this instance.
 cow_t* cow_create(size_t size);
+/// Free a cow area. This should be called on all clones before the parent of those clones is freed.
 void cow_free(cow_t* restrict cow);
+/// Create a clone of this instance. Any writes to the returned pointer will not be propagated to the input one.
 cow_t* cow_clone(const cow_t* cow);
 
+/// Returns 1 if this instance is a clone. 0 if it is not.
 int cow_is_fake(const cow_t* cow);
+/// Get the size of this cow area.
 size_t cow_size(const cow_t* cow);
 
+/// Get the `void*` pointer to the start of the area.
 #define cow_ptr(v) (*((void**)(v)))
-#define cow_ptr_of(t, v) (*((t **)(v)))
+/// Get the `T*` pointer to the start of the area.
+#define cow_ptr_of(T, v) (*((T **)(v)))
 
 #endif /* _COW_H */

src/cow.c

@@ -7,22 +7,21 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <sys/mman.h>
 #include <limits.h>
+#include <stddef.h>
 
 #include <cow.h>
 
 #define box(t) aligned_alloc(_Alignof(t), sizeof(t))
-#define box_value_any(v) ({ __typeof(v)* _boxed = box(__typeof(v)); \
-			*_boxed = (v); \
-			_boxed; })
-
 
 struct cow {
-	void* origin;
+	void* origin; // ptr to mapped memory. This *MUST* be the first field and have an offset of 0.
 
 	int fd; // Will be ORd with ~INT_MAX if it's a clone. Will be >0 if it's the original.
 	size_t size;
 }; // cow_t, *cow
 
+_Static_assert(offsetof(cow_t, origin) == 0, "`cow_t.origin` must have an offset of 0.");
+
 static __attribute__((noreturn)) __attribute__((noinline)) __attribute__((cold)) void die(const char* error)
 {
 	perror(error);
@@ -92,74 +91,3 @@ cow_t* cow_clone(const cow_t* cow)
 
 	return box_value(clone);
 }
-/*
-void* cow_ptr(cow_t* restrict cow)
-{
-	return cow->origin;
-}
-
-const void* cow_ptr_const(const cow_t* cow)
-{
-	return cow->origin;
-}
-*/
-
-#ifdef DEMO // This code works
-void alter(void* map_ptr)
-{
-	strcpy(map_ptr, "Hello two");
-}
-
-int main()
-{
-	// This works!
-	int graph = shm_fd();
-	void* map_ptr = mmap(NULL, SIZE, PROT_READ|PROT_WRITE, MAP_SHARED, graph, 0);
-	if(map_ptr == MAP_FAILED) die("map_ptr");
-	strcpy(map_ptr, "Hello world");
-	printf("Ptr begins: %s\n", (const char*)map_ptr);
-	{
-		void* map_alter = mmap(map_ptr, SIZE, PROT_READ|PROT_WRITE, MAP_PRIVATE, graph, 0);
-		if(map_alter == MAP_FAILED) die("map_alter");
-		printf("Alter begins: %s\n", (const char*)map_alter);
-		alter(map_alter);
-		printf("Alter ends: %s\n", (const char*)map_alter);
-		munmap(map_alter, SIZE);
-	}
-	printf("Ptr ends: %s\n", (const char*) map_ptr);
-	munmap(map_ptr, SIZE);
-	close(graph);
-	return 0;
-}
-#endif
-// Doesn't work...
-#if 0
-int main()
-{
-	void* map_ptr = mmap(NULL, SIZE, PROT_READ|PROT_WRITE, MAP_ANON | MAP_SHARED, 0, 0);
-	if(map_ptr == MAP_FAILED) die("map_ptr");
-	printf("First ptr is: %p\n  - '", map_ptr);
-	strcpy(map_ptr, "Hello world");
-	printf("%s'\n", (const char*)map_ptr);
-
-#ifdef USE_FORK
-	if(fork()>0) { // Eh... This is ugly.
-		printf("Forked...\n");
-		void* map_alter = mmap(map_ptr, SIZE, PROT_READ|PROT_WRITE, MAP_ANON | MAP_FIXED |MAP_PRIVATE, 0, 0);
-#else
-		//doesnt' work....
-		void* map_alter = mmap(map_ptr, SIZE, PROT_READ|PROT_WRITE, MAP_ANON | MAP_PRIVATE, 0, 0);
-#endif
-		if(map_alter == MAP_FAILED) die("map_alter");
-		printf("Second ptr is: %p\n  - '", map_alter);
-		printf("%s' - '", (const char*)map_alter);
-		strcpy(map_alter, "Hello two");
-		printf("%s'\n", (const char*)map_alter);
-#ifdef USE_FORK
-	} else 
-#endif
-		printf("First is still? '%s'\n", (volatile const char*)map_ptr);
-	
-	return 0;
-}
-#endif

src/main.c

@@ -12,11 +12,11 @@ int main()
 	
 	strcpy(cow_ptr(origin), "Hello world");
 	cow_t* fake = cow_clone(origin);
-	printf("Fake (pre write): %s\n", (const char*)cow_ptr(fake));
+	printf("Fake (pre write): %s\n", cow_ptr_of(const char, fake));
 	strcpy(cow_ptr(fake), "Hello fake!");
 
-	printf("Real: %s\n", (const char*)cow_ptr(origin));
-	printf("Fake: %s\n", (const char*)cow_ptr(fake));
+	printf("Real: %s\n", cow_ptr_of(const char, origin));
+	printf("Fake: %s\n", cow_ptr_of(const char, fake));
 	cow_free(fake);
 	cow_free(origin);