+/**
+ * Creates a new vector mode.
+ *
+ * @param name the name of the mode to be created
+ * @param sort the mode_sort of the mode to be created
+ * @param bit_size number of bits for one element of this mode
+ * @param num_of_elem number of elements in this vector mode
+ * @param sign non-zero if this is a signed mode
+ * @param arithmetic arithmetic operations possible with a mode
+ * @param modulo_shift Is ignored for modes other than integer.
+ *
+ * This function constructs a new vector mode given by the parameters.
+ * If the parameters match an already defined mode, this mode is returned.
+ * If the mode is newly allocated, a new unique mode_code is chosen.
+ * Also, special value tarvals will be calculated such as null,
+ * min, max and can be retrieved using the get_mode_* functions
+ *
+ * @return
+ * The new mode or NULL on error.
+ */
+ir_mode *new_ir_vector_mode(const char *name, mode_sort sort, int bit_size, unsigned num_of_elem, int sign,
+ mode_arithmetic arithmetic, unsigned int modulo_shift );
+
+/**
+ * Checks whether a pointer points to a mode.
+ *
+ * @param thing an arbitrary pointer
+ *
+ * @return
+ * true if the thing is a mode, else false
+ */
+int is_mode(void *thing);
+
+/* ********** Access methods to read mode information *********** */
+
+/** Returns the classification of the mode */
+modecode get_mode_modecode(const ir_mode *mode);
+
+/** Returns the ident* of the mode */
+ident *get_mode_ident(const ir_mode *mode);
+
+/** Returns the null-terminated name of this mode. */
+const char *get_mode_name(const ir_mode *mode);
+
+/** Returns a coarse classification of the mode. */
+mode_sort get_mode_sort(const ir_mode *mode);
+
+/** Returns the size of values of the mode in bits. */
+int get_mode_size_bits(const ir_mode *mode);
+
+/** Returns the size of values of the mode in bytes.
+ * If the size is not dividable by 8 returns -1. */
+int get_mode_size_bytes(const ir_mode *mode);
+
+/** Returns the signess of a mode.
+ *
+ * Returns the signess of a mode: 1 if mode is signed. */
+int get_mode_sign(const ir_mode *mode);
+
+/** Returns the arithmetic of a mode */
+int get_mode_arithmetic(const ir_mode *mode);
+
+/** Get the modulo shift attribute.
+ *
+ * Attribute modulo shift specifies for modes of kind irms_int_number
+ * whether shift applies modulo to value of bits to shift. Zero for
+ * modes that are not integer.
+ */
+unsigned int get_mode_modulo_shift(const ir_mode *mode);
+
+/** Return the number of vector elements.
+ *
+ * Attribute vector_elem specifies the number of vector elements of
+ * a vector mode. For non-vector modes it returns 1 for data and 0
+ * for all other modes
+ */
+unsigned int get_mode_n_vector_elems(const ir_mode *mode);
+
+/** Returns the stored intermediate information. */
+void *get_mode_link(const ir_mode *mode);
+
+/** Stores new intermediate information. */
+void set_mode_link(ir_mode *mode, void *l);
+
+/**
+ * Returns the smallest representable value of a given mode.
+ *
+ * For modes of the sort float_number this is the most negative value
+ * bigger than -infinite.
+ */
+tarval *get_mode_min(ir_mode *mode);
+
+/**
+ * Returns the biggest representable value o f a given mode.
+ *
+ * For modes of the sort float_number this is the largest value lower
+ * than infinite.
+ */
+tarval *get_mode_max(ir_mode *mode);
+
+/**
+ * Returns the value Zero represented in this mode.
+ *
+ * Zero is the additive neutral element and as such
+ * is defined only for modes allowing addition, i.e.
+ * op_pin_state_floats and ints, and references (NULL-Pointer)
+ * else returns tarval_bad.
+ */
+tarval *get_mode_null(ir_mode *mode);
+
+/**
+ * Returns the value One, represented in this mode.
+ *
+ * One, being the multiplicative neutral element,
+ * is defined only for modes allowing multiplication,
+ * i.e. ints and floats.
+ */
+tarval *get_mode_one(ir_mode *mode);
+
+/**
+ * Returns the value Minus One, represented in this mode.
+ *
+ * Minus One is defined only for modes allowing
+ * multiplication with signed values, i.e. signed ints and floats.
+ */
+tarval *get_mode_minus_one(ir_mode *mode);
+
+/**
+ * Returns the positive infinite value of a mode.
+ *
+ * This is only valid for float_numbers, other modes
+ * will result in tarval_bad.
+ */
+tarval *get_mode_infinite(ir_mode *mode);
+
+/**
+ * Returns the NAN value of a given mode.
+ *
+ * This is only valid for float_numbers, other modes
+ * will result in tarval_bad.
+ */
+tarval *get_mode_NAN(ir_mode *mode);
+
+extern ir_mode *mode_M; /**< memory */
+
+/* -- A set of predefined, numerical modes according to Techreport 1999-44 -- */