DataFields with unsigned types

#1

Hello everyone,

I am planning on using a MultiScalarField to keep track of a few flags. For setting and using those flags I want to use bitwise operators. As such, the type that I wanted to store the flags in is unsigned long, however during compiling, a few errors popped up.

Compile error 
/usr/bin/ld: CMakeFiles/test2D.dir/test2D.cpp.o: in function `non-virtual thunk to plb::MultiScalarField2D<unsigned long>::getTypeInfo[abi:cxx11]() const':
test2D.cpp:(.text._ZNK3plb18MultiScalarField2DImE11getTypeInfoB5cxx11Ev[_ZNK3plb18MultiScalarField2DImE11getTypeInfoB5cxx11Ev]+0x33): undefined reference to `plb::NativeType<unsigned long>::getName()'

/usr/bin/ld: CMakeFiles/test2D.dir/test2D.cpp.o: in function `plb::MultiScalarField2D<unsigned long>::getTypeInfo[abi:cxx11]() const':
test2D.cpp:(.text._ZNK3plb18MultiScalarField2DImE11getTypeInfoB5cxx11Ev[_ZNK3plb18MultiScalarField2DImE11getTypeInfoB5cxx11Ev]+0x203): undefined reference to `plb::NativeType<unsigned long>::getName()'

/usr/bin/ld: CMakeFiles/test2D.dir/test2D.cpp.o: in function `__static_initialization_and_destruction_1(int, int) [clone .constprop.0]':
test2D.cpp:(.text.startup+0x2fd): undefined reference to `plb::NativeType<unsigned long>::getName()'

collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status ```

It seems that in src\core\plbTypenames.h & .cpp several types are predefined such that other functions can access the type name. However, no unsigned versions of these types exists. Adding the unsigned long version to the NativeType and NativeTypeConstructor fixes the compile error, but I have a few open questions.

  1. Is there a reason why no unsigned types are implemented?
  2. Should I add the unsigned type elsewhere as well? (except for in the NativeType and NativeTypeConstructor)

Thank you and regards,
Julius

#2

Hello,
if I remember correctly it is for communication reasons. It should not be too hard to implement though. Nobody ever bothered I guess :smiley:

Could you provide a minimal example (and open an issue on gitlab so I can try to fix the problem)?