Ring Buffer Project

The ring buffer structure is defined in the header file, along with function headers for the ring buffer operatins.

It is important to note C does not, by default, initialize any variables. Many futuristic languages do. Some even have a separate value for non-initialized.

However, C does initialize static variables. By default they are zeroed. This can be taken into consideration in the design of a data structure, as we do here.

Besides the array holding the data of the ring buffer, this implementation of the ring buffer has three variables. The data structure invariant for these variables is,

DATA STRUCTURE INVARIANTS

	if rb.head != rb.tail then ring buffer is neither empty nor full
	if rb.head == rb.tail then the ring buffer is full if rb.is_full, otherwise empty
	if not full, rb.head is the index of the cell to write into 
	if not empty, rb.tail is the index of the cell to read from

NAME
    ringbuf -- implement the ring buffer
    
SYNOPSIS
    ringbuf [-v] _commands_
		
DESCRIPTION
    Creates a ring buffer of characters of default size 16 characters and applies the 
    enqueue/dequeue commands from string _commands_. The _commands_ string is understood 
    as follows: 
	
    For each character c in _commands_, in order, either:
        * if the character is a "-", dequeue a character from the ring buffer and 
          print it; print "empty" if there is no character to dequeue;
        * if the character is a "+", call each of the ioctl's and print the return
          values;
        * else enqueue the character c on the ring buffer and print c; print "full" 
          if c cannot be enqueued because the ring buffer is full.
	
    The following options are available:
    
    -v verbose output

OUTPUT
    The output for enqueue must be the line "enq: _X_", where _X_ is the enqueued
    character or the word "full". The output for dequeue must be "deq: _X_", where _X_ is
    the dequeued character or the word "empty". The output for the ioctl query must be
    "ioc: _X_" where _X_ is the white-space separated result of each of the three ioctl calls, 
    RB_Q_SIZE, RB_IS_EMPTY, RB_IS_FULL and RB_Q_COUNT.

    If the input is unacceptable, the program will exit with usage message:

        usage: ringbuf [-v] _commands_

HISTORY
    Reworked in csc421.171 to unify application and kernel variants.
    Introduced in csc421.161 to prepare for the in-kernel ring buffer 
    Introduced in csc421.151 as a C warm-up.
    
BUGS

NAME
    rb_enqueue, rb_dequeue, rb_ioctl - ringbuffer subroutines
    
LIBRARY
    Implemented in ringbuf-sub.c.
    
SYNOPSIS
    #include "ringbuf.h"

    #define RB_Q_SIZE 0
    #define RB_IS_EMPTY 1
    #define RB_IS_FULL 2
    #define RB_Q_COUNT 3

    int rb_ioctl(int op) ; 
    int rb_enqueue(int ele) ;
    int rb_dequeue(void) ;

DESCRIPTION
    rb_enqueue takes a character argument ele and places it in the ringbuffer returning
    ele if successful; if the queue is full or other error return -1.

    rb_dequeue returns the dequeued element from the queue; if the queue is empty or 
    other error return -1.

    rb_ioctl performs the ioctl op and returns the result:

        RB_Q_SIZE: returns the size of the queue (always 16).
        RB_IS_EMPTY: return 1 if the queue is empty, 0 otherwise
        RB_IS_FULL: return 1 if the queue is full, 0 otherwise
        RB_Q_COUNT: return the number of items in the queue

    Note that ele is passed as an integer, but it is undefined if it is not in the
    range of an unsigned character, 0 through 255.

    Note that return character is an integer, but should either be the 
    integer -1 or in the range of an unsigned character, 0 through 255.

Ring Buffer Project

by: burt rosenberg
at: university of miami
date: aug 2025

Goals

Discussion

Ring Buffer Project

by: burt rosenbergat: university of miami date: aug 2025

Goals

Discussion

by: burt rosenberg
at: university of miami
date: aug 2025