codon/docs/language/extra.md

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Codon supports a number of additional types that are not present
in plain Python.
# Arbitrary-width integers
Codon's `int` type is a 64-bit signed integer. However, Codon
supports arbitrary-width signed and unsigned integers:
``` python
a = Int[16](42) # signed 16-bit integer 42
b = UInt[128](99) # unsigned 128-bit integer 99
```
The Codon standard library provides shorthands for the common
variants:
- `i8`/`u8`: signed/unsigned 8-bit integer
- `i16`/`u16`: signed/unsigned 16-bit integer
- `i32`/`u32`: signed/unsigned 32-bit integer
- `i64`/`u64`: signed/unsigned 64-bit integer
# 32-bit float
Codon's `float` type is a 64-bit floating point value. Codon
also supports `float32` (or `f32` as a shorthand), representing
a 32-bit floating point value (like C's `float`).
# Pointers
Codon has a `Ptr[T]` type that represents a pointer to an object
of type `T`. Pointers can be useful when interfacing with C. The
`__ptr__` keyword can also be used to obtain a pointer to a variable:
``` python
p = Ptr[int](100) # allocate a buffer of 100 ints
p = Ptr[int]() # null pointer
x = 42
p = __ptr__(x) # pointer to x, like "&x" in C
from C import foo(Ptr[int])
foo(p) # pass pointer to C function
```
The `cobj` alias corresponds to `void*` in C and represents a generic
C or C++ object.
{% hint style="warning" %}
Using pointers directly circumvents any runtime checks, so dereferencing a
null pointer, for example, will cause a segmentation fault just like in C.
{% endhint %}
# Static arrays
The `__array__` keyword can be used to allocate static arrays on the stack:
``` python
def foo(n):
arr = __array__[int](5) # similar to "long arr[5]" in C
arr[0] = 11
arr[1] = arr[0] + 1
...
```