On Mon, Dec 5, 2022 at 10:20 PM ToddAndMargo via perl6-users <perl6-us...@perl.org> wrote: > > > use NativeCall; > > my Pointer $foo .= new: 42; > > say $foo; # NativeCall::Types::Pointer<0x2a> > > print $foo; # NativeCall::Types::Pointer<5895604297984>
---- `say` concatenates the `.gist`s of each of its arguments. In this case `say` only has one argument, `$foo`, which contains a `Pointer`. The `.gist` of a `Pointer` is a concatenation of: * The full type name (`NativeCall::Types::Pointer`) and * `<...>` enclosing the pointer's value (the address it represents) in HEXADECIMAL literal form. ---- `print` concatenates the `.Str`s of each of its arguments. In this case `print` only has one argument, again `$foo` which contains a `Pointer`. The `.Str` of a `Pointer` is a concatenation of: * The full type name (`NativeCall::Types::Pointer`) as with `say`. and: * `<...>` enclosing some OTHER number (NOT the pointer's value, ie not the address the `Pointer` represents) in DECIMAL literal form. I think this OTHER number is a number associated with the `ObjAt` of the `Pointer`. `ObjAt` is a high level Raku Object ID that's unique to the associated object. See https://docs.raku.org/type/ObjAt The key thing is that the integer number included in the `.Str` of a `Pointer` is NOT the address that that `Pointer` points to. It's something completely unrelated. Unless you know you need to pay attention to its `ObjAt` you are best advised to ignore it. ---- To return to the outputs of the `say`/`.gist` and `print`/`put`/.Str` forms and add the `.raku` at the start: ``` ...Pointer.new(42) ...Pointer<0x2a> ...Pointer<5895604297984> ``` You thought the three numbers should be the same integer. That's part of the problem. It's a surmise that leads to surprise. ---- Your original exploration was in the REPL. By default this REPL line and display uses `.gist`/`say` ``` [3] > my Pointer $Ptr2Ptr = NativeCall::Types::Pointer[BYTES].new($x); NativeCall::Types::Pointer<0xfe45ddcc> ``` (You can change from the default but let's move on.) If a REPL line explicitly writes to STDOUT, then the REPL uses that instead. So this line does NOT use `.gist`/`say`: ``` [4] > print "x = <" ~ $x ~ "> <0x" ~ $x.base(16) ~ "> Ptr2Ptr <" ~ $Ptr2Ptr ~ ">\n"; x = <4265991628> <0xFE45DDCC> Ptr2Ptr <NativeCall::Types::Pointer<4852306736864>> ``` You wrote `print`, and, as explained at the start, if you do that, the REPL accepts its output and displays that as is, no `.gist` involved. In the meantime, the `$Ptr2Ptr` is concatenated with `...<" ` and `">..." either side of it via two `~`s. The `~` op calls `.Str` on its operands. As explained above the `.Str` of a `Pointer` is not its `.gist` and instead returns a string that includes an `ObjAt` integer inside the `<...>` and that integer is not the address the `Pointer` points to. ---- So, factors that are confusing. Please sleep on what you've learned, and perhaps rethink it through the next day before deciding whether you now find it makes sense or if it remains confusing. Then I'll follow up if you still find it confusing. Hth! -- raiph
