+/* to resolve recursion between entity.h and type.h */
+#ifndef _ENTITY_TYPEDEF_
+#define _ENTITY_TYPEDEF_
+typedef struct entity entity;
+#endif
+
+
+/** Creates a new entity.
+ Automatically inserts the entity as a member of owner.
+ Entity is automatic_allocated and uninitialize except if the type
+ is type_method, then it is static_allocated and constant. The constant
+ value is a pointer to the method.
+ Visibility is local, offset -1, and it is not volatile. */
+entity *new_entity (type *owner, ident *name, type *tp);
+entity *new_d_entity (type *owner, ident *name, type *tp, dbg_info *db);
+/** Copies the entity if the new_owner is different from the
+ owner of the old entity. Else returns the old entity.
+ Automatically inserts the new entity as a member of owner.
+ Resets the overwrites/overwritten_by fields. */
+entity *copy_entity_own (entity *old, type *new_owner);
+/** Copies the entity if the new_name is different from the
+ name of the old entity. Else returns the old entity.
+ Automatically inserts the new entity as a member of owner.
+ The mangled name ld_name is set to NULL. */
+entity *copy_entity_name (entity *old, ident *new_name);
+/** Frees the entity. The owner will still contain the pointer to this
+ entity, as well as all other references! */
+void free_entity (entity *ent);
+
+/** manipulate fields of entity **/
+const char *get_entity_name (entity *ent);
+ident *get_entity_ident (entity *ent);
+
+/* returns the mangled name of the entity. If the mangled name is
+ set it returns the existing name. Else it generates a name
+ with mangle_entity() and remembers this new name internally. */
+ident *get_entity_ld_ident (entity *ent);
+void set_entity_ld_ident (entity *ent, ident *ld_ident);
+const char *get_entity_ld_name (entity *end);
+
+type *get_entity_owner (entity *ent);
+/* Sets the owner field in entity to owner. Don't forget to add
+ ent to owner!! */
+void set_entity_owner (entity *ent, type *owner);
+INLINE void assert_legal_owner_of_ent(type *owner);
+
+type *get_entity_type (entity *ent);
+void set_entity_type (entity *ent, type *tp);
+
+typedef enum {
+ automatic_allocated, /**< The entity is allocated during runtime, implicitly
+ as component of a compound type. This is the default. */
+ parameter_allocated, /**< The entity is a parameter. It is also automatic allocated.
+ We distinguish the allocation of paramters from the allocation
+ of local variables as their placement depends on the calling
+ conventions. */
+ dynamic_allocated, /**< The entity is allocated during runtime, explicitly
+ by an Alloc node. */
+ static_allocated /**< The entity is allocated statically. We can use a
+ SymConst(?) as address of the entity. */
+} ent_allocation;
+
+ent_allocation get_entity_allocation (entity *ent);
+void set_entity_allocation (entity *ent, ent_allocation al);
+
+/* This enumeration flags the visibility of entities. This is necessary
+ for partial compilation. */
+typedef enum {
+ local, /**< The entity is only visible locally. This is the default. */
+ external_visible, /**< The entity is visible to other external program parts, but
+ it is defined here. It may not be optimized away. The entity must
+ be static_allocated. */
+ external_allocated /**< The entity is defined and allocated externally. This compilation
+ must not allocate memory for this entity. The entity must
+ be static_allocated. This can also be an external defined
+ method. */
+} ent_visibility;
+
+ent_visibility get_entity_visibility (entity *ent);
+void set_entity_visibility (entity *ent, ent_visibility vis);
+
+/** This enumeration flags the variability of entities. */
+typedef enum {
+ uninitialized, /**< The content of the entity is completely unknown. */
+ initialized, /**< After allocation the entity is initalized with the
+ value given somewhere in the entity. */
+ part_constant, /**< For entities of compound types. Some members of the entity
+ are constant. The others are uninitialized. Those members
+ given a value for are constant. */
+ constant /**< The entity is constant. */
+} ent_variability;
+
+ent_variability get_entity_variability (entity *ent);
+void set_entity_variability (entity *ent, ent_variability var);
+
+/** This enumeration flags the volatility of entities. */
+typedef enum {
+ non_volatile, /**< The entity is not volatile */
+ is_volatile /**< The entity is volatile */
+} ent_volatility;
+
+ent_volatility get_entity_volatility (entity *ent);
+void set_entity_volatility (entity *ent, ent_volatility vol);
+
+/* Only set if layout = fixed. */
+int get_entity_offset (entity *ent);
+void set_entity_offset (entity *ent, int offset);
+
+/* A link to store intermediate information */
+void* get_entity_link(entity *ent);
+void set_entity_link(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(entity *ent);
+void set_entity_irg(entity *ent, ir_graph *irg);
+
+/* For the definition of enumeration peculiarity see type.h */
+peculiarity get_entity_peculiarity (entity *ent);
+void set_entity_peculiarity (entity *ent, peculiarity pec);
+
+/** Representation of constant values of entites **/
+/* 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(ir_node *n);
+
+/* Set has no effect for entities of type method. */
+ir_node *get_atomic_ent_value(entity *ent);
+void set_atomic_ent_value(entity *ent, ir_node *val);
+
+/* A value of a compound entity is a pair of a value and the corresponding
+ member of the compound. */
+void add_compound_ent_value(entity *ent, ir_node *val, entity *member);
+int get_compound_ent_n_values(entity *ent);
+ir_node *get_compound_ent_value(entity *ent, int pos);
+entity *get_compound_ent_value_member(entity *ent, int pos);
+void set_compound_ent_value(entity *ent, ir_node *val, entity *member, int pos);
+void remove_compound_ent_value(entity *ent, entity *value_ent);
+/* Inits the entity ent witch 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(entity *ent, tarval **values, int num_vals);
+
+/** Fields of entities with a class type as owner **/
+/* Overwrites is a field that specifies that an access to the overwritten
+ entity in the supertype must use this entity. It's a list as with
+ multiple inheritance several enitites can be overwritten. This field
+ is mostly useful for method entities.
+ If a Sel node selects an entity that is overwritten by other entities it
+ must return a pointer to the entity of the dynamic type of the pointer
+ that is passed to it. Lowering of the Sel node must assure this.
+ Overwrittenby is the inverse of overwrites. Both add routines add
+ both relations, they only differ in the order of arguments. */
+void add_entity_overwrites (entity *ent, entity *overwritten);
+int get_entity_n_overwrites (entity *ent);
+int get_entity_overwrites_index(entity *ent, entity *overwritten);
+entity *get_entity_overwrites (entity *ent, int pos);
+void set_entity_overwrites (entity *ent, int pos, entity *overwritten);
+void remove_entity_overwrites(entity *ent, entity *overwritten);
+
+void add_entity_overwrittenby (entity *ent, entity *overwrites);
+int get_entity_n_overwrittenby (entity *ent);
+int get_entity_overwrittenby_index(entity *ent, entity *overwrites);
+entity *get_entity_overwrittenby (entity *ent, int pos);
+void set_entity_overwrittenby (entity *ent, int pos, entity *overwrites);
+void remove_entity_overwrittenby(entity *ent, entity *overwrites);
+
+/**
+ * Checks whether a pointer points to an entity.
+ *
+ * @param thing an arbitrary pointer
+ *
+ * @return
+ * true if the thing is an entity, else false
+ */
+int is_entity (void *thing);
+
+/** Returns true if the type of the entity is a primitive, pointer
+ enumeration or method type. */
+int is_atomic_entity(entity *ent);
+/** Returns true if the type of the entity is a class, structure,
+ array or union type. */
+int is_compound_entity(entity *ent);
+
+/** Returns true if ent1 and ent2 have are equal except for their owner.
+ Two entities are equal if
+ - they have the same type (the same C-struct)
+ - ...?