[Mono-dev] Possible compiler error regarding static unsafe initializers

[Stephen Apostolopoulos]

The following code compiles with the .Net 2.0 csc, but fails on gmcs 1.2.4  
(Linux x64, vanilla compilation):

internal unsafe delegate void CallLists(Int32 n, GL.Enums.ListNameType  
type, void* lists);
internal unsafe static CallLists glCallLists =
	(CallLists)GL.GetDelegateForExtensionMethod("glCallLists",  
typeof(CallLists)) ??
	new CallLists(Imports.CallLists);
         ^(produces the error below)
"[csc] [...]/OpenTK/OpenGL/Bindings/GLDelegates.cs(23,137): error CS0214:  
Pointers and fixed size buffers may only be used in an unsafe context"

The error position (23,137) refers to the "new  
CallLists(Imports.CallLists);" part. The code is compiled with the /unsafe  
flag, and the context, as far as I can see, *is* unsafe ("internal unsafe  
[...]").

This is part of the initialization logic of Tao.OpenGl. The idea is to  
initialize the glCallLists delegate either with a dynamically extracted  
entry point (GetDelegateForExtensionMethod), or, if the entry point is not  
dynamically exported, with the static entry point produced by a DllImport.  
While this issue can be worked around (either using reflection, or using  
'safe' IntPtrs instead of raw pointers), I would like to know whether this  
is a genuine gmcs error, which should be reported, or a standard violation  
on the .Net csc side.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks,
- Stephen A


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