+ typedef std::pair<size_t, unsigned char> bitfield;
+
+ /** The irc::dynamicbitmask class is used to maintain a bitmap of
+ * boolean values, which can grow to any reasonable size no matter
+ * how many bitfields are in it.
+ *
+ * It starts off at 32 bits in size, large enough to hold 32 boolean
+ * values, with a memory allocation of 8 bytes. If you allocate more
+ * than 32 bits, the class will grow the bitmap by 8 bytes at a time
+ * for each set of 8 bitfields you allocate with the Allocate()
+ * method.
+ *
+ * This method is designed so that multiple modules can be allocated
+ * bit values in a bitmap dynamically, rather than having to define
+ * costs in a fixed size unsigned integer and having the possibility
+ * of collisions of values in different third party modules.
+ *
+ * IMPORTANT NOTE:
+ *
+ * To use this class, you must derive from it.
+ * This is because each derived instance has its own freebits array
+ * which can determine what bitfields are allocated on a TYPE BY TYPE
+ * basis, e.g. an irc::dynamicbitmask type for Users, and one for
+ * Channels, etc. You should inheret it in a very simple way as follows.
+ * The base class will resize and maintain freebits as required, you are
+ * just required to make the pointer static and specific to this class
+ * type.
+ *
+ * \code
+ * class mydbitmask : public irc::dynamicbitmask
+ * {
+ * private:
+ *
+ * static unsigned char* freebits;
+ *
+ * public:
+ *
+ * mydbitmask() : irc::dynamicbitmask()
+ * {
+ * freebits = new unsigned char[this->bits_size];
+ * memset(freebits, 0, this->bits_size);
+ * }
+ *
+ * ~mydbitmask()
+ * {
+ * delete[] freebits;
+ * }
+ *
+ * unsigned char* GetFreeBits()
+ * {
+ * return freebits;
+ * }
+ *
+ * void SetFreeBits(unsigned char* freebt)
+ * {
+ * freebits = freebt;
+ * }
+ * };
+ * \endcode
+ */
+ class CoreExport dynamicbitmask : public classbase
+ {
+ private:
+ /** Data bits. We start with four of these,
+ * and we grow the bitfield as we allocate
+ * more than 32 entries with Allocate().
+ */
+ unsigned char* bits;
+ protected:
+ /** Current set size (size of freebits and bits).
+ * Both freebits and bits will ALWAYS be the
+ * same length.
+ */
+ unsigned char bits_size;
+ public:
+ /** Allocate the initial memory for bits and
+ * freebits and zero the memory.
+ */
+ dynamicbitmask();