RE: [sv-cc] Question on "rand" qualifer on struct elements

I don't see any reason why they couldn't be treated
in DPI just as ordinary struct members are -- i.e.,
struct members without the rand and randc qualifiers.
The C side wouldn't be able to detect the qualifiers,
of course -- but then the client could always use
VPI if they need that particular info.

To my mind, the rand and randc qualifiers simply
connect the struct members with the built-in functions
such as randomize() (and the mode setting functions).
Conceptually, one can look at randomize() as a function
that does some calculations and then sets the values
of certain data values.  Since any other function
can do the same thing, I don't think that DPI should
handle these struct members any differently.

Clarification:  Does a declaration with rand and randc
qualifiers have to appear only inside a class declaration?
If so, is there any limitation on how DPI handles objects
declared inside classes?

Regards,
Jim

--------------------------------------------------------- 
James H. Vellenga                            978-262-6381 
Engineering Director                   (FAX) 978-262-6636 
Cadence Design Systems, Inc.         vellenga@cadence.com 
270 Billerica Rd
Chelmsford, MA 01824-4179
"We all work with partial information." 
----------------------------------------------------------  

]-----Original Message-----
]From: owner-sv-cc@eda.org [mailto:owner-sv-cc@eda.org] On 
]Behalf Of Warmke, Doug
]Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2006 2:47 PM
]To: sv-cc@eda.org
]Subject: [sv-cc] Question on "rand" qualifer on struct elements
]
]Hello SV-CC,
]
]I have a nice DPI question for everyone to ponder.
]
]In SV, it is possible to declare struct elements
]as "rand" or "randc":
]
]struct {
]    int I;
]    rand int J;
]    randc int K;
]} S;
]
]Should structs with these element datatype qualifiers
]be allowed as DPI arguments?
]
]Are there any other similar qualifiers we should watch
]out for?
]
]Thanks,
]Doug
]
]