64 bit Cygwin target and _WIN64

Corinna Vinschen corinna-cygwin@cygwin.com
Wed Jul 18 11:03:00 GMT 2012


Hi guys,


Here's a problem I need feedback for.

I'm currently working on making Mingw64 headers 64 bit Cygwin aware.
One, IMHO pretty tough problem is the definition of _WIN64.

A Cygwin-targeting gcc does not define WIN32, _WIN32, __WIN32 and
__WIN32__ by default.  The original reason is that we had (and probably
still have) a lot of projects, which test for _WIN32 one way or the
other to decide if a POSIX or a Windows function should be called,
the latter typically to be avoided.

Now comes the time for _WIN64.  _WIN64 is used a *LOT* inside of the
Mingw64 headers to distinguish type definitions which differ from the
32 bit version, or to declare functions which only exist on 64 bit
machines, stuff like that.

There are a couple of ways to help us along with this problem:

1. Replace all

    #ifdef _WIN64

   with

    #if defined (_WIN64) || defined (__CYGWIN64__)

2. In a core Mingw64 header:

    #if defined (_WIN64) || defined (__CYGWIN64__)
    #define _WINX64
    #endif

   Then replace all `#ifdef _WIN64' with `#ifdef _WINX64'.

3. In a core Mingw64 header:

    #ifdef __CYGWIN64__
    #define _WIN64
    #endif

4. Let the Cygwin 64 bit gcc define _WIN64 by default.

I think all of these variations have up- and downsides.  I just can't
decide which is the best way to handle the problem.  So, let me tell
you what I think and then chime in, please:

1. Most straightforward, but uglifies the headers extremly.  All
   later added ifdefs have to be checked so that they don't exclude
   __CYGWIN64__.

2. Better than 1 as far as readability and ugliness are concerned.
   But also requires constant vigilance so that _WIN64 doesn't creep in
   again.

3. If _WIN64 is defined in a Mingw64 header, then all projects which
   don't include windows headers are off the hook.  configure is off
   the hook as well.  Only projects which use `#ifdef _WIN64' within
   the code may be in trouble.

4. What can I say?  This is exaclty the situation we'd like to avoid.

Concerning point 3 and 4, the question on the Mingw64 IRC channel was
this:  Is that really a serious problem?  Projects testing for windows
targets usually test for _WIN32, not for _WIN64, since _WIN32 is always
defined, on 32 and on 64 bit Windows.

Consequentially, projects for which testing for _WIN64 is an important
design choice are windows-centric anyway and probably no serious target
for a Cygwin port.

Given that, I am inclined to simplify the problem by choosing point 3;
just define _WIN64 if a Windows header is included and then keep it
at that.

But I'm really not sure.  So I ask for your opinion.


Thanks in advance,
Corinna

-- 
Corinna Vinschen                  Please, send mails regarding Cygwin to
Cygwin Project Co-Leader          cygwin AT cygwin DOT com
Red Hat



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