PHP Manual
FFI
Main interface to C code and data

Main interface to C code and data

(PHP 7 >= 7.4.0, PHP 8)

Introduction

Objects of this class are created by the factory methods FFI::cdef(), FFI::load() or FFI::scope(). Defined C variables are made available as properties of the FFI instance, and defined C functions are made available as methods of the FFI instance. Declared C types can be used to create new C data structures using FFI::new() and FFI::type().

FFI definition parsing and shared library loading may take significant time. It is not useful to do it on each HTTP request in a Web environment. However, it is possible to preload FFI definitions and libraries at PHP startup, and to instantiate FFI objects when necessary. Header files may be extended with special FFI_SCOPE defines (e.g. #define FFI_SCOPE "foo"”"; the default scope is "C") and then loaded by FFI::load() during preloading. This leads to the creation of a persistent binding, that will be available to all the following requests through FFI::scope(). Refer to the complete PHP/FFI/preloading example for details.

It is possible to preload more than one C header file into the same scope.

Class synopsis

final class FFI {

/* Methods */

public static addr(FFI\CData &$ptr): FFI\CData

public static alignof(FFI\CData|FFI\CType &$ptr): int

public static arrayType(FFI\CType $type, array $dimensions): FFI\CType

public static cdef(string $code = "", ?string $lib = null): FFI

public static free(FFI\CData &$ptr): void

public static isNull(FFI\CData &$ptr): bool

public static load(string $filename): ?FFI

public static memcmp(string|FFI\CData &$ptr1, string|FFI\CData &$ptr2, int $size): int

public static memcpy(FFI\CData &$to, FFI\CData|string &$from, int $size): void

public static memset(FFI\CData &$ptr, int $value, int $size): void

public static new(FFI\CType|string $type, bool $owned = true, bool $persistent = false): ?FFI\CData

public new(FFI\CType|string $type, bool $owned = true, bool $persistent = false): ?FFI\CData

public static scope(string $name): FFI

public static sizeof(FFI\CData|FFI\CType &$ptr): int

public static string(FFI\CData &$ptr, ?int $size = null): string

public static type(string $type): ?FFI\CType

public type(string $type): ?FFI\CType

public static typeof(FFI\CData &$ptr): FFI\CType

}

FFI::addr — Creates an unmanaged pointer to C data
FFI::alignof — Gets the alignment
FFI::arrayType — Dynamically constructs a new C array type
FFI::cast — Performs a C type cast
FFI::cdef — Creates a new FFI object
FFI::free — Releases an unmanaged data structure
FFI::isNull — Checks whether a FFI\CData is a null pointer
FFI::load — Loads C declarations from a C header file
FFI::memcmp — Compares memory areas
FFI::memcpy — Copies one memory area to another
FFI::memset — Fills a memory area
FFI::new — Creates a C data structure
FFI::scope — Instantiates an FFI object with C declarations parsed during preloading
FFI::sizeof — Gets the size of C data or types
FFI::string — Creates a PHP string from a memory area
FFI::type — Creates an FFI\CType object from a C declaration
FFI::typeof — Gets the FFI\CType of FFI\CData