I would like to declare a record in Delphi that contains the same layout as it has in C.
For those interested : This record is part of a union in the Windows API LDT_ENTRY
record (I need to use this record in Delphi because I'm working on an Xbox emulator in Delphi - see project Dxbx on sourceforge).
Anyway, the record in question is defined as:
struct
{
DWORD BaseMid : 8;
DWORD Type : 5;
DWORD Dpl : 2;
DWORD Pres : 1;
DWORD LimitHi : 4;
DWORD Sys : 1;
DWORD Reserved_0 : 1;
DWORD Default_Big : 1;
DWORD Granularity : 1;
DWORD BaseHi : 8;
}
Bits;
As far as I know, there are no bit-fields possible in Delphi. I did try this:
Bits = record
BaseMid: Byte; // 8 bits
_Type: 0..31; // 5 bits
Dpl: 0..3; // 2 bits
Pres: Boolean; // 1 bit
LimitHi: 0..15; // 4 bits
Sys: Boolean; // 1 bit
Reserved_0: Boolean; // 1 bit
Default_Big: Boolean; // 1 bit
Granularity: Boolean; // 1 bit
BaseHi: Byte; // 8 bits
end;
But alas: it's size becomes 10 bytes, instead of the expected 4.
I would like to know how I should declare the record, so that I get a record with the same layout, the same size, and the same members. Preferably without loads of getters/setters.
Thanks everyone!
Based on this information, I reduced this to :
RBits = record
public
BaseMid: BYTE;
private
Flags: WORD;
function GetBits(const aIndex: Integer): Integer;
procedure SetBits(const aIndex: Integer; const aValue: Integer);
public
BaseHi: BYTE;
property _Type: Integer index $0005 read GetBits write SetBits; // 5 bits at offset 0
property Dpl: Integer index $0502 read GetBits write SetBits; // 2 bits at offset 5
property Pres: Integer index $0701 read GetBits write SetBits; // 1 bit at offset 7
property LimitHi: Integer index $0804 read GetBits write SetBits; // 4 bits at offset 8
property Sys: Integer index $0C01 read GetBits write SetBits; // 1 bit at offset 12
property Reserved_0: Integer index $0D01 read GetBits write SetBits; // 1 bit at offset 13
property Default_Big: Integer index $0E01 read GetBits write SetBits; // 1 bit at offset 14
property Granularity: Integer index $0F01 read GetBits write SetBits; // 1 bit at offset 15
end;
The index is encoded as follows : (BitOffset shl 8) + NrBits
. Where 1<=NrBits<=32 and 0<=BitOffset<=31
Now, I can get and set these bits as follows :
{$OPTIMIZATION ON}
{$OVERFLOWCHECKS OFF}
function RBits.GetBits(const aIndex: Integer): Integer;
var
Offset: Integer;
NrBits: Integer;
Mask: Integer;
begin
NrBits := aIndex and $FF;
Offset := aIndex shr 8;
Mask := ((1 shl NrBits) - 1);
Result := (Flags shr Offset) and Mask;
end;
procedure RBits.SetBits(const aIndex: Integer; const aValue: Integer);
var
Offset: Integer;
NrBits: Integer;
Mask: Integer;
begin
NrBits := aIndex and $FF;
Offset := aIndex shr 8;
Mask := ((1 shl NrBits) - 1);
Assert(aValue <= Mask);
Flags := (Flags and (not (Mask shl Offset))) or (aValue shl Offset);
end;
Pretty nifty, don't you think?!?!
PS: Rudy Velthuis now included a revised version of this in his excellent "Pitfalls of converting"-article.