Management of size_t (-size-t-type-is)

Description

Specify the underlying data type of size_t explicitly: unsigned char, unsigned short, unsigned int, unsigned long or unsigned long long. If you do not specify this option, your choice of compiler determines the underlying type.

Set Option

User interface (desktop products only): In your project configuration, the option is on the Target & Compiler node.

User interface (Polyspace Platform, desktop products only): In your project configuration, the option is in the Edit Processor window. This window can be opened from the Target & Compiler node in the Build tab. See Processor Details.

Command line and options file: Use the option -size-t-type-is. See Command-Line Information.

Why Use This Option

The analysis associates a data type with size_t when you specify your compiler using the option Compiler (-compiler). In most cases, you do not have to explicitly use this option and specify an underlying type for size_t.

In some situations, when building your code, you might be using a compiler option that changed the compiler's default definition of size_t. In these cases, emulate your compiler option by using this Polyspace^® analysis option. Otherwise, you might see an error message related to size_t during Polyspace analysis. If you see such an error message, to probe further and determine the underlying type of size_t, compile this code with your compiler using the options that you typically use:

/* Header defines malloc as void* malloc (size_t size)
#include <stlib.h>

void* malloc (unsigned int size);

If the file does not compile, your compiler (along with compiler options) defines size_t using a type different from

unsigned
                    int

. Replace unsigned int with another type such as unsigned long and try again till you determine the underlying type of size_t.

Settings

Default: defined-by-compiler

defined-by-compiler: Your specification for Compiler (-compiler) determines the underlying type of size_t.
unsigned-int: The analysis considers unsigned int as the underlying type of size_t.
unsigned-long: The analysis considers unsigned long as the underlying type of size_t.
unsigned-long-long: The analysis considers unsigned long long as the underlying type of size_t.
unsigned-char: The analysis considers unsigned char as the underlying type of size_t.
unsigned-short: The analysis considers unsigned short as the underlying type of size_t.

Tips

Compilation errors from incorrect definition of size_t can appear in unexpected ways. For instance, you might see an error like this:

first parameter of allocation function must be of type "size_t"

on a declaration of an allocation function such as:

void * operator new(size_t size);

This error appears because Polyspace internally declares the allocation function with the size_t definition from your Polyspace analysis configuration, but your declaration might be using a different size_t definition from a compiler header. The mismatch in the size_t definitions leads to a mismatch in the declarations of the allocation functions and shows up as an error message about the allocation functions.

Command-Line Information

Parameter: -size-t-type-is

Default: defined-by-compiler

Example (Bug Finder): polyspace-bug-finder -size-t-type-is unsigned-long

Example (Code Prover):

polyspace-code-prover -size-t-type-is
                unsigned-long

Example (Bug Finder Server): polyspace-bug-finder-server -size-t-type-is unsigned-long

Example (Code Prover Server):

polyspace-code-prover-server -size-t-type-is
                unsigned-long

Management of size_t (`-size-t-type-is`)