Hello! I'd like to ask you a question about c (macros): In Rinternals.h are defined: a) SEXP Rf_protect(SEXP); b) #define protect Rf_protect c) #define PROTECT(s) protect(s) As far as I understand the calls Rf_protect( x ), protect( x ) and PROTECT( x ) are all equalent. So whats the reason that there are 2 macros defined? Why 3 times the same when 1 distinct function would be enough? Thanks for some enlightenment... -- Regards, Hans-Peter
Rf_protect in Rinternals.h
2 messages · Hans-Peter, Brian Ripley
On Wed, 8 Feb 2006, Hans-Peter wrote:
Hello! I'd like to ask you a question about c (macros): In Rinternals.h are defined: a) SEXP Rf_protect(SEXP); b) #define protect Rf_protect c) #define PROTECT(s) protect(s) As far as I understand the calls Rf_protect( x ), protect( x ) and PROTECT( x ) are all equalent. So whats the reason that there are 2 macros defined? Why 3 times the same when 1 distinct function would be enough?
History. People do not like writing 'Rf_protect', so PROTECT is used instead. And the code is written as 'protect' for the same reason, and to allow future changes under the skin. (Several macros are in fact used differently inside R, and Rinternals.h was an attempt to extract a reasonable subset of the internal code, not an ab initio design).
Brian D. Ripley, ripley at stats.ox.ac.uk Professor of Applied Statistics, http://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/~ripley/ University of Oxford, Tel: +44 1865 272861 (self) 1 South Parks Road, +44 1865 272866 (PA) Oxford OX1 3TG, UK Fax: +44 1865 272595