RDSALLOC(3)						      RDS PHYSICAL FUNCTIONS						       RDSALLOC(3)

NAME

	rdsalloc - memory allocation function

ORIGIN

       This  software  belongs	to  the  ALLIANCE CAD SYSTEM developed by the ASIM team at LIP6 laboratory of Universite Pierre et Marie CURIE, in
       Paris, France.

       Web : http://asim.lip6.fr/recherche/alliance/
       E-mail : alliance-users@asim.lip6.fr

SYNOPSYS

	#include "rdsnnn.h"
	  char *rdsalloc( Size, Heap )
	    unsigned int Size;
	    char	 Heap;

PARAMETER

       Size		   memory size to allocate

       Heap		   takes the values RDS_ALLOC_BLOCK or RDS_ALLOC_HEAP (two defined constants).

DESCRIPTION

       The rdsalloc function can do memory allocation by block or by heap. If the user wants to allocate by block, he sets the parameter  Heap	to
       the  constant  RDS_ALLOC_BLOCK else, he wants to allocate by heap so the parameter Heap is set to RDS_ALLOC_HEAP.  If rdsalloc is used with
       the constant RDS_ALLOC_BLOCK then rdsalloc is used as standard language C function malloc().  If the user allocates by heap then :  At  the
       first allocation of the block of size the parameter 'Size', a heap of size multiple of the block Size is allocated. When another allocation
       of the same size is done then if the the heap isn't full then a pointer (of size='Size') is returned else a new heap  is  allocated  and  a
       pointer	returned. Like this, the user does really one allocation (he has many pointers) to minimize fragmentation. Heap allocation is use-
       full if the user has to allocate many pointers of the same size (ex: rdsrec_list structure).

       Note: Memory place allocated is set to NULL.

RETURN VALUE

       pointer to the allocated memory is returned.

ERRORS

       "Rds202: rdsalloc error, can't continue !"
	      it's impossible to allocate the memory size desired.

EXAMPLE

	     #include "rdsnnn.h"
	  main()
	   {
	      rdsrec_list *Rectangle;
	      rdsfig_list *Figure;
	    Rectangle =
		 (rdsrec_list *) rdsalloc (sizeof(rdsrec_list *),RDS_ALLOC_HEAP);
	    Figure    =
		 (rdsfig_list *) rdsalloc (sizeof(rdsfig_list *),RDS_ALLOC_BLOCK);
	   }

SEE ALSO

       librds, rdsfree

BUG REPORT

       This tool is under development at the ASIM department of the LIP6 laboratory.
       We need your feedback to improve documentation and tools.

ASIM
/LIP6							  October 1, 1997						       RDSALLOC(3)