/*************************************************
*     Exim - an Internet mail transport agent    *
*************************************************/

Copyright (c) The Exim Maintainers 2024 - 2025

This directory contains source for modules that can be built as part
of Exim, either static-linked or as dynamic-load modules. Doing the
latter keeps the runtime binary smaller when a feature is not used
by the configuration, especially when a library is involved.

Which modules are built, and the choice of static vs. dynamic, is
under the control of the Local/Makefile at build time.
Any combination of static/dynamic is valid.

Moudules built for dynamic load must be installed in a directory
which is defined in Local/Makefile.

The API starts with a struct with a known name <foo>_module_info.
For dynamic builds this includes a magic number permitting versioning
of the highlevel interface.
The structure has elements for some commonly-needed call types
(init, version-report etc.).  Any may be left as null pointers;
those present will be called at appropriate times.

The current list is
	init			(Exim startup if static, modload if dynamic)
	lib_vers_report
	conn_init
	smtp_reset
	msg_init

Then there are three pairs of elements, each being a table pointer
and table length, for options, functions, and variable that the
module provides.

The options table defines main-section configuration options, using
the same definition entry struct as the main table in readconf.c;
entries here should have their proper opt_<type> and
should be duplicated in the main table, but with opt_module and the
module name (this supports both getting the module loaded, if dynamic,
and writing the value from the config). Entries must be in order by
the option name.

The functions table defines service functions additional to the "common"
ones noted above.  Each offset in the table should have a #define in an
include-file brought in to the general set by exim.h.

The variables table defins $variables for expansion, using the same
definition entry struct as the main var_table in expand.c;
entries here should have their proper vtype_<type> and should be duplicated
in the main table but with vtype_module and the module name.
Entries must be in order by the variable name.

There are service functions to locate and to locate-or-load modules
by name; these hide the static/dynamic aspect of a module.  Most
new coding will only need these for calls to the "additiona" custom
functions a module provides. The example code is:

      {
      /* You need to know the function's prototype */
      typedef int (*fn_t)(const uschar **, const uschar *, int);
      fn_t fn;
      misc_module_info * mi = misc_mod_find(US"spf", &log_message);

      if (mi)
	{
	fn = ((fn_t *) mi->functions)[SPF_PROCESS];
	rc = fn(args...);
	}
      }



Adding new modules
------------------

Put the code in this directory.  Use filenames starting with the module name.
Write an include file with anything callers need to know, in particular
#defines for the function call numbers.  Include that file from exim.h
and add it to HDRS and PHDRS in OS/Makefile-Base.
Add a SUPPORT_<foo> line to Local/Makefile, and (if dynamic) any
SUPPORT_<foo>_INCLUDE or SUPPORT_<foo>_LIBS required.
Add the capitalised module name <foo> to the "miscmods" line in
scripts/Configure-Makefile.
Add all the filenames to the "miscmods" list in scripts/Makelinks

For statically-linked modules the SUPPORT_<foo> line should say "yes",
for dynamic: "2".

If include-by-default is wanted for the module, use DISABLE_<foo> instead
of SUPPORT_<foo> (and leave it commented out as appropriate), and prefix
the name in the "miscmods" line with an underbar ("_").
For dynamic builds, a SUPPORT_ line is still needed.
