Return the data left behind. Return the data left behind.

    * glib.h:
    * garray.c: (g_array_free), (g_ptr_array_free),
    (g_byte_array_free): Return the data left behind.
    * gstring.c: (g_string_free): Return the data left behind.

    Changed the free calls that leave data behind so they
    return a pointer to the left-behind data, NULL if told not
    to leave anything behind. This makes these calls easier
    to use correctly, without any incompatible API change for
    callers that don't know about the return value. Of course,
    it would be even clearer if the free calls weren't dual-purpose
    in the first place.

3 files changed, 42 insertions, 13 deletions

diff --git a/glib/garray.c b/glib/garray.c
index 13dac5645..285e4fed6 100644
--- a/glib/garray.c
+++ b/glib/garray.c
@@ -102,16 +102,27 @@ GArray* g_array_sized_new (gboolean zero_terminated,
   return (GArray*) array;
 }
 
-void
+gchar*
 g_array_free (GArray  *array,
 	      gboolean free_segment)
 {
+  gchar* segment;
+
+  g_return_val_if_fail (array, NULL);
+
   if (free_segment)
-    g_free (array->data);
+    {
+      g_free (array->data);
+      segment = NULL;
+    }
+  else
+    segment = array->data;
 
   G_LOCK (array_mem_chunk);
   g_mem_chunk_free (array_mem_chunk, array);
   G_UNLOCK (array_mem_chunk);
+
+  return segment;
 }
 
 GArray*
@@ -335,18 +346,27 @@ g_ptr_array_sized_new (guint reserved_size)
   return (GPtrArray*) array;  
 }
 
-void
+gpointer*
 g_ptr_array_free (GPtrArray   *array,
 		  gboolean  free_segment)
 {
-  g_return_if_fail (array);
+  gpointer* segment;
+
+  g_return_val_if_fail (array, NULL);
 
   if (free_segment)
-    g_free (array->pdata);
+    {
+      g_free (array->pdata);
+      segment = NULL;
+    }
+  else
+    segment = array->pdata;
 
   G_LOCK (ptr_array_mem_chunk);
   g_mem_chunk_free (ptr_array_mem_chunk, array);
   G_UNLOCK (ptr_array_mem_chunk);
+
+  return segment;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -520,10 +540,10 @@ GByteArray* g_byte_array_sized_new (guint reserved_size)
   return (GByteArray*) g_array_sized_new (FALSE, FALSE, 1, reserved_size);
 }
 
-void	    g_byte_array_free     (GByteArray *array,
+guint8*	    g_byte_array_free     (GByteArray *array,
 			           gboolean    free_segment)
 {
-  g_array_free ((GArray*) array, free_segment);
+  return (guint8*) g_array_free ((GArray*) array, free_segment);
 }
 
 GByteArray* g_byte_array_append   (GByteArray *array,
diff --git a/glib/glib.h b/glib/glib.h
index 4ebe6626a..72ccbfba6 100644
--- a/glib/glib.h
+++ b/glib/glib.h
@@ -1925,7 +1925,7 @@ gchar*	      g_string_chunk_insert_const  (GStringChunk *chunk,
  */
 GString*     g_string_new	        (const gchar	 *init);
 GString*     g_string_sized_new         (guint		  dfl_size);
-void	     g_string_free	        (GString	 *string,
+gchar*	     g_string_free	        (GString	 *string,
 					 gboolean	  free_segment);
 gboolean     g_string_equal             (const GString	 *v,
 					 const GString 	 *v2);
@@ -1988,7 +1988,7 @@ GArray* g_array_sized_new         (gboolean	    zero_terminated,
 				   gboolean	    clear,
 				   guint	    element_size,
 				   guint            reserved_size);
-void	g_array_free	          (GArray	   *array,
+gchar*  g_array_free	          (GArray	   *array,
 				   gboolean	    free_segment);
 GArray* g_array_append_vals       (GArray	   *array,
 				   gconstpointer    data,
@@ -2015,7 +2015,7 @@ GArray* g_array_remove_index_fast (GArray	   *array,
 #define	    g_ptr_array_index(array,index) (array->pdata)[index]
 GPtrArray*  g_ptr_array_new		   (void);
 GPtrArray*  g_ptr_array_sized_new	   (guint        reserved_size);
-void	    g_ptr_array_free		   (GPtrArray	*array,
+gpointer*   g_ptr_array_free		   (GPtrArray	*array,
 					    gboolean	 free_seg);
 void	    g_ptr_array_set_size	   (GPtrArray	*array,
 					    gint	 length);
@@ -2036,7 +2036,7 @@ void	    g_ptr_array_add		   (GPtrArray	*array,
 
 GByteArray* g_byte_array_new	           (void);
 GByteArray* g_byte_array_sized_new	   (guint        reserved_size);
-void	    g_byte_array_free	           (GByteArray	 *array,
+guint8*	    g_byte_array_free	           (GByteArray	 *array,
 					    gboolean	  free_segment);
 GByteArray* g_byte_array_append	           (GByteArray	 *array,
 					    const guint8 *data,
diff --git a/glib/gstring.c b/glib/gstring.c
index 4f2ce7d1b..ee3805040 100644
--- a/glib/gstring.c
+++ b/glib/gstring.c
@@ -251,18 +251,27 @@ g_string_new (const gchar *init)
   return string;
 }
 
-void
+gchar*
 g_string_free (GString *string,
 	       gboolean free_segment)
 {
+  gchar *segment;
+
   g_return_if_fail (string != NULL);
 
   if (free_segment)
-    g_free (string->str);
+    {
+      g_free (string->str);
+      segment = NULL;
+    }
+  else
+    segment = string->str;
 
   G_LOCK (string_mem_chunk);
   g_mem_chunk_free (string_mem_chunk, string);
   G_UNLOCK (string_mem_chunk);
+
+  return segment;
 }
 
 gboolean