+/** Returns the alignment of a type in bits. If the alignment of a type is
+ * not set, it is calculated here according to the following rules:
+ * 1.) if a type has a mode, the aligment is the mode size.
+ * 2.) compound types have the alignment of it's biggest member.
+ * 3.) array types have the alignment of its element type.
+ * 4.) method types return 0 here.
+ * 5.) all other types return 8 here (i.e. aligned at byte).
+ */
+int get_type_alignment_bits(type *tp);
+
+/** Sets the alignment of a type in bytes. */
+void set_type_alignment_bytes(type *tp, int size);
+
+/** Sets the alignment of a type in bits.
+ *
+ * For method types the alignment is always fixed.
+ * This call is legal but has no effect.
+ */
+void set_type_alignment_bits(type *tp, int size);
+
+unsigned long get_type_visited(const type *tp);