+/** Returns the stored intermediate information. */
+void *get_entity_link(const ir_entity *ent);
+
+/** Stores new intermediate information. */
+void set_entity_link(ir_entity *ent, void *l);
+
+/* -- Fields of method entities -- */
+/** The entity knows the corresponding irg if the entity is a method.
+ This allows to get from a Call to the called irg.
+ Only entities of peculiarity "existent" can have a corresponding irg,
+ else the field is fixed to NULL. (Get returns NULL, set asserts.) */
+ir_graph *get_entity_irg(const ir_entity *ent);
+void set_entity_irg(ir_entity *ent, ir_graph *irg);
+
+/** Gets the entity vtable number. */
+unsigned get_entity_vtable_number(ir_entity *ent);
+
+/** Sets the entity vtable number. */
+void set_entity_vtable_number(ir_entity *ent, unsigned vtable_number);
+
+/** Return the peculiarity of an entity. */
+ir_peculiarity get_entity_peculiarity(const ir_entity *ent);
+
+/** Sets the peculiarity of an entity. */
+void set_entity_peculiarity(ir_entity *ent, ir_peculiarity pec);
+
+/** Checks if an entity cannot be overridden anymore. */
+int get_entity_final(const ir_entity *ent);
+
+/** Sets/resets the final flag of an entity. */
+void set_entity_final(ir_entity *ent, int final);
+
+/** Checks if an entity is compiler generated. */
+int is_entity_compiler_generated(const ir_entity *ent);
+
+/** Sets/resets the compiler generated flag. */
+void set_entity_compiler_generated(ir_entity *ent, int flag);
+
+/* -- Representation of constant values of entities -- */
+/** Returns true if the the node is representable as code on
+ * const_code_irg. */
+int is_irn_const_expression(ir_node *n);
+/* Set current_ir_graph to get_const_code_irg() to generate a constant
+ expression. */
+
+/**
+ * Copies a firm subgraph that complies to the restrictions for
+ * constant expressions to current_block in current_ir_graph.
+ */
+ir_node *copy_const_value(dbg_info *dbg, ir_node *n);
+
+/* Set has no effect for existent entities of type method. */
+ir_node *get_atomic_ent_value(ir_entity *ent);
+void set_atomic_ent_value(ir_entity *ent, ir_node *val);
+
+/**
+ * The following type describes a path to a leave in the compound graph.
+ * Node 0 in the path must be an entity of type tp given in the constructor. If
+ * the type of this element is compound, the path node 1 is an element of the type
+ * of node 0 an so forth, until an entity of atomic type is reached.
+ */
+#ifndef _COMPOUND_GRAPH_PATH_TYPEDEF_
+#define _COMPOUND_GRAPH_PATH_TYPEDEF_
+typedef struct compound_graph_path compound_graph_path;
+#endif /* _COMPOUND_GRAPH_PATH_TYPEDEF_ */
+
+/** Creates a new compound graph path. */
+compound_graph_path *new_compound_graph_path(ir_type *tp, int length);
+
+/** Returns non-zero if an object is a compound graph path */
+int is_compound_graph_path(const void *thing);
+
+/** Frees a graph path object */
+void free_compound_graph_path (compound_graph_path *gr);
+
+/** Returns the length of a graph path */
+int get_compound_graph_path_length(const compound_graph_path *gr);
+
+ir_entity *get_compound_graph_path_node(const compound_graph_path *gr, int pos);
+void set_compound_graph_path_node(compound_graph_path *gr, int pos, ir_entity *node);
+int get_compound_graph_path_array_index(const compound_graph_path *gr, int pos);
+void set_compound_graph_path_array_index(compound_graph_path *gr, int pos, int index);
+
+/** Checks whether the path up to pos is correct. If the path contains a NULL,
+ * assumes the path is not complete and returns non-zero. */
+int is_proper_compound_graph_path(compound_graph_path *gr, int pos);
+
+/* A value of a compound entity is a pair of a value and the description of the
+ corresponding access path to the member of the compound. */
+void add_compound_ent_value_w_path(ir_entity *ent, ir_node *val, compound_graph_path *path);
+void set_compound_ent_value_w_path(ir_entity *ent, ir_node *val, compound_graph_path *path, int pos);
+/** Returns the number of constant values needed to initialize the entity.
+ *
+ * Asserts if the entity has variability_uninitialized.
+ * */
+int get_compound_ent_n_values(ir_entity *ent);
+/** Returns a constant value given the position. */
+ir_node *get_compound_ent_value(ir_entity *ent, int pos);
+/** Returns the access path for value at position pos. */
+compound_graph_path *get_compound_ent_value_path(ir_entity *ent, int pos);
+/** Returns the position of a value with the given path.
+ * The path must contain array indices for all array element entities. */
+int get_compound_ent_pos_by_path(ir_entity *ent, compound_graph_path *path);
+/** Returns a constant value given the access path.
+ * The path must contain array indices for all array element entities. */
+ir_node *get_compound_ent_value_by_path(ir_entity *ent, compound_graph_path *path);
+
+/** Removes all constant entries where the path ends at value_ent. Does not
+ free the memory of the paths. (The same path might be used for several
+ constant entities. */
+void remove_compound_ent_value(ir_entity *ent, ir_entity *value_ent);
+
+/* Some languages support only trivial access paths, i.e., the member is a
+ direct, atomic member of the constant entities type. In this case the
+ corresponding entity can be accessed directly. The following functions
+ allow direct access. */
+
+/** Generates a Path with length 1.
+ Beware: Has a bad runtime for array elements (O(|array|) and should be
+ avoided there. Use add_compound_ent_value_w_path() instead and create
+ the path manually. */
+void add_compound_ent_value(ir_entity *ent, ir_node *val, ir_entity *member);
+
+/** Returns the last member in the path */
+ir_entity *get_compound_ent_value_member(ir_entity *ent, int pos);
+
+/** Sets the path at pos 0 */
+void set_compound_ent_value(ir_entity *ent, ir_node *val, ir_entity *member, int pos);
+
+/** Initializes the entity ent which must be of a one dimensional
+ array type with the values given in the values array.
+ The array must have a lower and an upper bound. Keeps the
+ order of values. Does not test whether the number of values
+ fits into the given array size. Does not test whether the
+ values have the proper mode for the array. */
+void set_array_entity_values(ir_entity *ent, tarval **values, int num_vals);
+
+/**
+ * Return the offset in bits from the last byte address.
+ *
+ * This requires that the layout of all concerned types is fixed.
+ *
+ * @param ent Any entity of compound type with at least pos initialization values.
+ * @param pos The position of the value for which the offset is requested.
+ */
+int get_compound_ent_value_offset_bit_remainder(ir_entity *ent, int pos);
+
+/** Return the overall offset of value at position pos in bytes.
+ *
+ * This requires that the layout of all concerned types is fixed.
+ * Asserts if bit offset is not byte aligned.
+ *
+ * @param ent Any entity of compound type with at least pos initialization values.
+ * @param pos The position of the value for which the offset is requested.
+ */
+int get_compound_ent_value_offset_bytes(ir_entity *ent, int pos);
+
+/** Compute the array indices in compound graph paths of initialized entities.
+ *
+ * All arrays must have fixed lower and upper bounds. One array can
+ * have an open upper bound. If there are several open bounds, we do
+ * nothing. There must be initializer elements for all array
+ * elements. Uses the link field in the array element entities. The
+ * array bounds must be representable as integers.
+ *
+ * @param ent Any entity.
+ * @return 0 in case of an error, 1 otherwise
+ */
+int compute_compound_ent_array_indices(ir_entity *ent);
+
+/* --- Fields of entities with a class type as owner --- */