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doc/theses/mubeen_zulfiqar_MMath/allocator.tex

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-\section{Added Features}
-
-
-\subsection{Methods}
-Why did we need it?
-The added benefits.
-
+\section{Added Features and Methods}
+To improve the UHeapLmmm allocator (FIX ME: cite uHeapLmmm) interface and make it more user friendly, we added a few more routines to the C allocator. Also, we built a CFA (FIX ME: cite cforall) interface on top of C interface to increase the usability of the allocator.
+
+\subsection{C Interface}
+We added a few more features and routines to the allocator's C interface that can make the allocator more usable to the programmers. THese features will programmer more control on the dynamic memory allocation.
+
+\subsubsection void * aalloc( size_t dim, size_t elemSize )
+aalloc is an extension of malloc. It allows programmer to allocate a dynamic array of objects without calculating the total size of array explicitly. The only alternate of this routine in the other allocators is calloc but calloc also fills the dynamic memory with 0 which makes it slower for a programmer who only wants to dynamically allocate an array of objects without filling it with 0.
+\paragraph{Usage}
+aalloc takes two parameters.
+\begin{itemize}
+\item
+dim: number of objects in the array
+\item
+elemSize: size of the object in the array.
+\end{itemize}
+It returns address of dynamic object allocatoed on heap that can contain dim number of objects of the size elemSize. On failure, it returns NULL pointer.
+
+\subsubsection void * resize( void * oaddr, size_t size )
+resize is an extension of relloc. It allows programmer to reuse a cuurently allocated dynamic object with a new size requirement. Its alternate in the other allocators is realloc but relloc also copy the data in old object to the new object which makes it slower for the programmer who only wants to reuse an old dynamic object for a new size requirement but does not want to preserve the data in the old object to the new object.
+\paragraph{Usage}
+resize takes two parameters.
+\begin{itemize}
+\item
+oaddr: the address of the old object that needs to be resized.
+\item
+size: the new size requirement of the to which the old object needs to be resized.
+\end{itemize}
+It returns an object that is of the size given but it does not preserve the data in the old object. On failure, it returns NULL pointer.
+
+\subsubsection void * resize( void * oaddr, size_t nalign, size_t size )
+This resize is an extension of the above resize (FIX ME: cite above resize). In addition to resizing the size of of an old object, it can also realign the old object to a new alignment requirement.
+\paragraph{Usage}
+This resize takes three parameters. It takes an additional parameter of nalign as compared to the above resize (FIX ME: cite above resize).
+\begin{itemize}
+\item
+oaddr: the address of the old object that needs to be resized.
+\item
+nalign: the new alignment to which the old object needs to be realigned.
+\item
+size: the new size requirement of the to which the old object needs to be resized.
+\end{itemize}
+It returns an object with the size and alignment given in the parameters. On failure, it returns a NULL pointer.
+
+\subsubsection void * amemalign( size_t alignment, size_t dim, size_t elemSize )
+amemalign is a hybrid of memalign and aalloc. It allows programmer to allocate an aligned dynamic array of objects without calculating the total size of the array explicitly. It frees the programmer from calculating the total size of the array.
+\paragraph{Usage}
+amemalign takes three parameters.
+\begin{itemize}
+\item
+alignment: the alignment to which the dynamic array needs to be aligned.
+\item
+dim: number of objects in the array
+\item
+elemSize: size of the object in the array.
+\end{itemize}
+It returns a dynamic array of objects that has the capacity to contain dim number of objects of the size of elemSize. The returned dynamic array is aligned to the given alignment. On failure, it returns NULL pointer.
+
+\subsubsection void * cmemalign( size_t alignment, size_t dim, size_t elemSize )
+cmemalign is a hybrid of amemalign and calloc. It allows programmer to allocate an aligned dynamic array of objects that is 0 filled. The current way to do this in other allocators is to allocate an aligned object with memalign and then fill it with 0 explicitly. This routine provides both features of aligning and 0 filling, implicitly.
+\paragraph{Usage}
+cmemalign takes three parameters.
+\begin{itemize}
+\item
+alignment: the alignment to which the dynamic array needs to be aligned.
+\item
+dim: number of objects in the array
+\item
+elemSize: size of the object in the array.
+\end{itemize}
+It returns a dynamic array of objects that has the capacity to contain dim number of objects of the size of elemSize. The returned dynamic array is aligned to the given alignment and is 0 filled. On failure, it returns NULL pointer.
+
+\subsubsection size_t malloc_alignment( void * addr )
+malloc_alignment returns the alignment of a currently allocated dynamic object. It allows the programmer in memory management and personal bookkeeping. It helps the programmer in verofying the alignment of a dynamic object especially in a scenerio similar to prudcer-consumer where a producer allocates a dynamic object and the consumer needs to assure that the dynamic object was allocated with the required alignment.
+\paragraph{Usage}
+malloc_alignment takes one parameters.
+\begin{itemize}
+\item
+addr: the address of the currently allocated dynamic object.
+\end{itemize}
+malloc_alignment returns the alignment of the given dynamic object. On failure, it return the value of default alignment of the uHeapLmmm allocator.
+
+\subsubsection bool malloc_zero_fill( void * addr )
+malloc_zero_fill returns whether a currently allocated dynamic object was initially zero filled at the time of allocation. It allows the programmer in memory management and personal bookkeeping. It helps the programmer in verifying the zero filled property of a dynamic object especially in a scenerio similar to prudcer-consumer where a producer allocates a dynamic object and the consumer needs to assure that the dynamic object was zero filled at the time of allocation.
+\paragraph{Usage}
+malloc_zero_fill takes one parameters.
+\begin{itemize}
+\item
+addr: the address of the currently allocated dynamic object.
+\end{itemize}
+malloc_zero_fill returns true if the dynamic object was initially zero filled and return false otherwise. On failure, it returns false.
+
+\subsubsection size_t malloc_size( void * addr )
+malloc_size returns the allocation size of a currently allocated dynamic object. It allows the programmer in memory management and personal bookkeeping. It helps the programmer in verofying the alignment of a dynamic object especially in a scenerio similar to prudcer-consumer where a producer allocates a dynamic object and the consumer needs to assure that the dynamic object was allocated with the required size. Its current alternate in the other allocators is malloc_usable_size. But, malloc_size is different from malloc_usable_size as malloc_usabe_size returns the total data capacity of dynamic object including the extra space at the end of the dynamic object. On the other hand, malloc_size returns the size that was given to the allocator at the allocation of the dynamic object. This size is updated when an object is realloced, resized, or passed through a similar allocator routine.
+\paragraph{Usage}
+malloc_size takes one parameters.
+\begin{itemize}
+\item
+addr: the address of the currently allocated dynamic object.
+\end{itemize}
+malloc_size returns the allocation size of the given dynamic object. On failure, it return zero.
+
+\subsubsection void * realloc( void * oaddr, size_t nalign, size_t size )
+This realloc is an extension of the default realloc (FIX ME: cite default realloc). In addition to reallocating an old object and preserving the data in old object, it can also realign the old object to a new alignment requirement.
+\paragraph{Usage}
+This realloc takes three parameters. It takes an additional parameter of nalign as compared to the default realloc.
+\begin{itemize}
+\item
+oaddr: the address of the old object that needs to be reallocated.
+\item
+nalign: the new alignment to which the old object needs to be realigned.
+\item
+size: the new size requirement of the to which the old object needs to be resized.
+\end{itemize}
+It returns an object with the size and alignment given in the parameters that preserves the data in the old object. On failure, it returns a NULL pointer.
+
+\subsection{CFA Malloc Interface}
+We added some routines to the malloc interface of CFA. These routines can only be used in CFA and not in our standalone uHeapLmmm allocator as these routines use some features that are only provided by CFA and not by C. It makes the allocator even more usable to the programmers.
+CFA provides the liberty to know the returned type of a call to the allocator. So, mainly in these added routines, we removed the object size parameter from the routine as allocator can calculate the size of the object from the returned type.
+
+\subsubsection T * malloc( void )
+This malloc is a simplified polymorphic form of defualt malloc (FIX ME: cite malloc). It does not take any parameter as compared to default malloc that takes one parameter.
+\paragraph{Usage}
+This malloc takes no parameters.
+It returns a dynamic object of the size of type T. On failure, it return NULL pointer.
+
+\subsubsection T * aalloc( size_t dim )
+This aalloc is a simplified polymorphic form of above aalloc (FIX ME: cite aalloc). It takes one parameter as compared to the above aalloc that takes two parameters.
+\paragraph{Usage}
+aalloc takes one parameters.
+\begin{itemize}
+\item
+dim: required number of objects in the array.
+\end{itemize}
+It returns a dynamic object that has the capacity to contain dim number of objects, each of the size of type T. On failure, it return NULL pointer.
+
+\subsubsection T * calloc( size_t dim )
+This calloc is a simplified polymorphic form of defualt calloc (FIX ME: cite calloc). It takes one parameter as compared to the default calloc that takes two parameters.
+\paragraph{Usage}
+This calloc takes one parameter.
+\begin{itemize}
+\item
+dim: required number of objects in the array.
+\end{itemize}
+It returns a dynamic object that has the capacity to contain dim number of objects, each of the size of type T. On failure, it return NULL pointer.
+
+\subsubsection T * resize( T * ptr, size_t size )
+This resize is a simplified polymorphic form of above resize (FIX ME: cite resize with alignment). It takes two parameters as compared to the above resize that takes three parameters. It frees the programmer from explicitly mentioning the alignment of the allocation as CFA provides gives allocator the liberty to get the alignment of the returned type.
+\paragraph{Usage}
+This resize takes two parameters.
+\begin{itemize}
+\item
+ptr: address of the old object.
+\item
+size: the required size of the new object.
+\end{itemize}
+It returns a dynamic object of the size given in paramters. The returned object is aligned to the alignemtn of type T. On failure, it return NULL pointer.
+
+\subsubsection T * realloc( T * ptr, size_t size )
+This realloc is a simplified polymorphic form of defualt realloc (FIX ME: cite realloc with align). It takes two parameters as compared to the above realloc that takes three parameters. It frees the programmer from explicitly mentioning the alignment of the allocation as CFA provides gives allocator the liberty to get the alignment of the returned type.
+\paragraph{Usage}
+This realloc takes two parameters.
+\begin{itemize}
+\item
+ptr: address of the old object.
+\item
+size: the required size of the new object.
+\end{itemize}
+It returns a dynamic object of the size given in paramters that preserves the data in the given object. The returned object is aligned to the alignemtn of type T. On failure, it return NULL pointer.
+
+\subsubsection T * memalign( size_t align )
+This memalign is a simplified polymorphic form of defualt memalign (FIX ME: cite memalign). It takes one parameters as compared to the default memalign that takes two parameters.
+\paragraph{Usage}
+memalign takes one parameters.
+\begin{itemize}
+\item
+align: the required alignment of the dynamic object.
+\end{itemize}
+It returns a dynamic object of the size of type T that is aligned to given parameter align. On failure, it return NULL pointer.
+
+\subsubsection T * amemalign( size_t align, size_t dim )
+This amemalign is a simplified polymorphic form of above amemalign (FIX ME: cite amemalign). It takes two parameter as compared to the above amemalign that takes three parameters.
+\paragraph{Usage}
+amemalign takes two parameters.
+\begin{itemize}
+\item
+align: required alignment of the dynamic array.
+\item
+dim: required number of objects in the array.
+\end{itemize}
+It returns a dynamic object that has the capacity to contain dim number of objects, each of the size of type T. The returned object is aligned to the given parameter align. On failure, it return NULL pointer.
+
+\subsubsection T * cmemalign( size_t align, size_t dim  )
+This cmemalign is a simplified polymorphic form of above cmemalign (FIX ME: cite cmemalign). It takes two parameter as compared to the above cmemalign that takes three parameters.
+\paragraph{Usage}
+cmemalign takes two parameters.
+\begin{itemize}
+\item
+align: required alignment of the dynamic array.
+\item
+dim: required number of objects in the array.
+\end{itemize}
+It returns a dynamic object that has the capacity to contain dim number of objects, each of the size of type T. The returned object is aligned to the given parameter align and is zero filled. On failure, it return NULL pointer.
+
+\subsubsection T * aligned_alloc( size_t align )
+This aligned_alloc is a simplified polymorphic form of defualt aligned_alloc (FIX ME: cite aligned_alloc). It takes one parameter as compared to the default aligned_alloc that takes two parameters.
+\paragraph{Usage}
+This aligned_alloc takes one parameter.
+\begin{itemize}
+\item
+align: required alignment of the dynamic object.
+\end{itemize}
+It returns a dynamic object of the size of type T that is aligned to the given parameter. On failure, it return NULL pointer.
+
+\subsubsection int posix_memalign( T ** ptr, size_t align )
+This posix_memalign is a simplified polymorphic form of defualt posix_memalign (FIX ME: cite posix_memalign). It takes two parameters as compared to the default posix_memalign that takes three parameters.
+\paragraph{Usage}
+This posix_memalign takes two parameter.
+\begin{itemize}
+\item
+ptr: variable address to store the address of the allocated object.
+\item
+align: required alignment of the dynamic object.
+\end{itemize}
+It stores address of the dynamic object of the size of type T in given parameter ptr. This object is aligned to the given parameter. On failure, it return NULL pointer.
+
+\subsubsection T * valloc( void )
+This valloc is a simplified polymorphic form of defualt valloc (FIX ME: cite valloc). It takes no parameters as compared to the default valloc that takes one parameter.
+\paragraph{Usage}
+valloc takes no parameters.
+It returns a dynamic object of the size of type T that is aligned to the page size. On failure, it return NULL pointer.
+
+\subsubsection T * pvalloc( void )
+This pcvalloc is a simplified polymorphic form of defualt pcvalloc (FIX ME: cite pcvalloc). It takes no parameters as compared to the default pcvalloc that takes one parameter.
+\paragraph{Usage}
+pvalloc takes no parameters.
+It returns a dynamic object of the size that is calcutaed by rouding the size of type T. The returned object is also aligned to the page size. On failure, it return NULL pointer.
 
 \subsection{Alloc Interface}