[Numpy-discussion] Question about numarray Bool type

[Peter Verveer]

On Tuesday 06 May 2003 17:48, Todd Miller wrote:
> Peter Verveer wrote:
> >Hi,
> >
> >In the numarray source code Bool is defined as a typedef to char. Does the
> >Bool array type correspond to the Int8, or the UInt8 type? If I recall
> >correctly, the char type may be signed or unsigned. Can I make any
> >assumptions about the C type used to implement Bool at all?
>
> Yes!  It's named Bool.  :)

Obviously, but then I need to include the numarray include file to make sure I 
get the right definition, and I do not always want to do that. See below.

> >I guess at the Python level it does not matter what actual C type is used
> > to implement bool arrays as it only represents boolean values. However,
> > at the level of C extensions I would like to deal with Bool arrays by
> > calling existing functions written for the appropiate C type.
>
> The easiest way now is to just declare your variables with type "Bool".
>  The only thing I can think of which that doesn't cover is printf/scanf.
>   Are there others?

This does not work if you want to call a routine that was not written using 
the numarray typedefs. For instance, I like to write my array processing 
routines such that I can use them in a standalone C program without linking 
to numarray. These routines know nothing about numarray, but as long as the 
layout and data types of the arrays are correct I can still use them in 
numarray C routines. Then you need to know of course exactly what the C data 
types of the numarray routines are. That is easy for most types since they 
are exactly defined by bit-size and sign. But this is currently not true for 
the Bool type.

> >That would be somewhat
> >simpler if Bool is always garantueed to be either a unsigned or a signed
> > char type.
>
> I think perhaps we should just re-define Bool as signed char.  Any other
> opinions?

That would solve the problem.

Peter