Endian conversion tool

Abstract

In one embodiment of the invention code (e.g., compiler, tool) may generate information so a first code portion, which includes a pointer value in a first endian format (e.g., big endian), can be properly initialized and executed on a platform having a second endian format (e.g., little endian). Also, various embodiments of the invention may identify problematic regions of code (e.g., source code) where a particular byte order is cast away through void pointers.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to endian conversion. Background technique [0002] Endianness is a property of data storage and retrieval. Big endian data or variables may be stored in memory in the reverse byte order of little endian data or variables. Little endian data may be stored with the least significant byte at the lowest memory byte address, and big endian data may be stored with the most significant byte at the lowest memory byte address. Big and little endian variables with the same value may be the same in CPU registers, but may have a different order in memory. [0003] Source code written using one endian convention cannot be executed on a platform using another endian convention without recognizing how some data is stored in memory in a different order. The following C code provides an example: [0004] { [0005] int i = 0x12345678; [0006] char c = *((char*)&i); [0007] ...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

This would be when, for example, the source code includes a union or cast of a first pointer (which points to data consisting of multiple bytes) to a second pointer (which points to data consisting of a single byte) difficult

Pointers create difficulties because some double-endian compilers do not track the byte order passed through pointers (e.g. void pointers), and do not produce diagnostics for potential byte order changes passed through such pointers

So pointers etc. cause unforeseen endianness incompatibilities

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