<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><br class=""><div><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">On May 9, 2016, at 1:20 PM, Joe Groff &lt;<a href="mailto:jgroff@apple.com" class="">jgroff@apple.com</a>&gt; wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div class=""><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Regarding the UnsafeBytePointer API:<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><pre class="" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Consolas, 'Liberation Mono', Menlo, Courier, monospace; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.45; padding: 16px; overflow: auto; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; word-wrap: normal; word-break: normal;"></pre></div><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class=""><pre class="" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Consolas, 'Liberation Mono', Menlo, Courier, monospace; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.45; padding: 16px; overflow: auto; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; word-wrap: normal; word-break: normal;"><span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">struct</span> UnsafeBytePointer <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">:</span> <span class="pl-c1" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 134, 179);">Hashable</span>, _Pointer {

  <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">let</span> _rawValue: Builtin<span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">.</span>RawPointer

  <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">var</span> hashValue: <span class="pl-c1" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 134, 179);">Int</span> {<span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">...</span>}

  <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">init</span><span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">&lt;</span>T<span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">&gt;</span>(_ <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">:</span> <span class="pl-c1" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 134, 179);">UnsafePointer</span><span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">&lt;</span>T<span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">&gt;</span>)
  <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">init</span><span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">&lt;</span>T<span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">&gt;</span>(_ <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">:</span> <span class="pl-c1" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 134, 179);">UnsafeMutablePointer</span><span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">&lt;</span>T<span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">&gt;</span>)
  <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">init</span>?<span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">&lt;</span>T<span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">&gt;</span>(_ <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">:</span> <span class="pl-c1" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 134, 179);">UnsafePointer</span><span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">&lt;</span>T<span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">&gt;</span>?)
  <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">init</span>?<span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">&lt;</span>T<span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">&gt;</span>(_ <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">:</span> <span class="pl-c1" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 134, 179);">UnsafeMutablePointer</span><span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">&lt;</span>T<span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">&gt;</span>?)

  <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">init</span><span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">&lt;</span>T<span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">&gt;</span>(_ <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">:</span> OpaquePointer<span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">&lt;</span>T<span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">&gt;</span>)
  <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">init</span>?<span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">&lt;</span>T<span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">&gt;</span>(_ <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">:</span> OpaquePointer<span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">&lt;</span>T<span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">&gt;</span>?)

  <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">init</span>?(bitPattern: <span class="pl-c1" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 134, 179);">Int</span>)
  <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">init</span>?(bitPattern: <span class="pl-c1" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 134, 179);">UInt</span>)

  <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">func</span> <span class="pl-en" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(121, 93, 163);">load</span>&lt;T&gt;(_ <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">:</span> T<span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">.</span><span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">Type</span>) <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">-&gt;</span> T

  <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">@warn_unused_result</span>
  <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">init</span>(allocatingBytes size: <span class="pl-c1" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 134, 179);">Int</span>, alignedTo: <span class="pl-c1" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 134, 179);">Int</span>)

  <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">@warn_unused_result</span>
  <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">init</span><span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">&lt;</span>T<span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">&gt;</span>(allocatingCapacity count: <span class="pl-c1" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 134, 179);">Int</span>, of: T<span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">.</span><span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">Type</span>)

  <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">func</span> <span class="pl-en" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(121, 93, 163);">deallocateBytes</span>(<span class="pl-en" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(121, 93, 163);">_</span> <span class="pl-smi" style="box-sizing: border-box;">size</span>: <span class="pl-c1" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 134, 179);">Int</span>, alignedTo: <span class="pl-c1" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 134, 179);">Int</span>)

  <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">func</span> <span class="pl-en" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(121, 93, 163);">deallocateCapacity</span>&lt;T&gt;(<span class="pl-en" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(121, 93, 163);">_</span> <span class="pl-smi" style="box-sizing: border-box;">num</span>: <span class="pl-c1" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 134, 179);">Int</span>, of: T<span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">.</span><span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">Type</span>)

  <span class="pl-c" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(150, 152, 150);">// Returns a pointer one byte after the initialized memory.</span>
  <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">func</span> <span class="pl-en" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(121, 93, 163);">initialize</span>&lt;T&gt;(<span class="pl-en" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(121, 93, 163);">with</span> <span class="pl-smi" style="box-sizing: border-box;">newValue</span>: T, count: <span class="pl-c1" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 134, 179);">Int</span> <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">=</span> <span class="pl-c1" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 134, 179);">1</span>) <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">-&gt;</span> UnsafeBytePointer

  <span class="pl-c" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(150, 152, 150);">// Returns a pointer one byte after the initialized memory.</span>
  <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">func</span> <span class="pl-en" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(121, 93, 163);">initialize</span>&lt;T&gt;(from: <span class="pl-c1" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 134, 179);">UnsafePointer</span><span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">&lt;</span>T<span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">&gt;</span>, count: <span class="pl-c1" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 134, 179);">Int</span>) <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">-&gt;</span> UnsafeBytePointer

  <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">func</span> <span class="pl-en" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(121, 93, 163);">initializeBackward</span>&lt;T&gt;(<span class="pl-en" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(121, 93, 163);">from</span> <span class="pl-smi" style="box-sizing: border-box;">source</span>: <span class="pl-c1" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 134, 179);">UnsafePointer</span><span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">&lt;</span>T<span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">&gt;</span>, count: <span class="pl-c1" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 134, 179);">Int</span>)

  <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">func</span> <span class="pl-en" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(121, 93, 163);">deinitialize</span>&lt;T&gt;(_ <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">:</span> T<span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">.</span><span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">Type</span>, count: <span class="pl-c1" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 134, 179);">Int</span> <span class="pl-k" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(167, 29, 93);">=</span> <span class="pl-c1" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 134, 179);">1</span>)
}
</pre></div></blockquote><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Should we also have 'assign' methods, matching 'initialize'? Should 'deinitialize' be called 'destroy', matching 'UnsafeMutablePointer's API?</div></div></div></blockquote><br class=""></div><div>I was wondering if anyone would ask for ‘assign’. It presumes that you are storing the same type of object that was previously stored in your buffer. I didn’t want to proactively support that case because it’s a convenience and not really consistent with the pointer being type punned. You can always call deinitialize() first if you need to before calling ‘initialize'. I &nbsp;used ‘deinitialize’ to be consistent with UnsafeMutablePointer.</div><div><br class=""></div><div>-Andy</div><br class=""></body></html>