Squeak Class Documentation category index | class index  
 
ExternalObject
  category: FFI-Kernel
  superclass: Object
  subclasses: ExternalFunction ExternalLibrary ExternalStructure Win32Shell

External objects represent entities that are not part of the Smalltalk universe. They are accessed using a unique handle which is interpreted depending on the actual entity that is represented.

Instance variables:
handle <ByteArray | ExternalAddress>

instance methods
  error handling
 

  initialize-release
  initialize

  private
  getHandle
setHandle:

class methods
  class initialization
  initialize

  instance creation
  new

  system startup
  install
installSubclasses
startUp:

instance methods
  error handling top  

  initialize-release top  
 

initialize

Initialize the receiver


  private top  
 

getHandle

Private. Return the handle used to represent the external entitiy.


 

setHandle:

Private. Set the handle used to represent the external entity.


class methods
  class initialization top  
 

initialize

ExternalObject initialize


  instance creation top  
 

new

Answer a new instance of the receiver (which is a class) with no indexable variables. Fail if the class is indexable.


  system startup top  
 

install

Notify all instances of the receiver that we're coming up on a new platform.
Note: The default implementation does nothing since the general external
objects are cleaned up by ExternalAddress>>startUp: but subclasses may
implement this method so that the appropriate action for existing instances can
be taken.


 

installSubclasses

Notify all the subclasses of ExternalObject that we are starting up on a new platform.


 

startUp:

The system is coming up. If it is on a new platform, clear out the existing handles.