Dope vector
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In computer programming, a dope vector is a data structure used to hold information about a data object[1], e.g. an array, especially its memory layout.
A dope vector typically contains information about the type of array element, rank of an array, the extents of an array, and the stride of an array as well as a pointer to block in memory containing the array elements.
It is often used in compilers to pass entire arrays between procedures in a high level language like Fortran.
- ^ Pratt T. and M. Zelkowitz, Programming Languages: Design and Implementation (Third Edition), Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, (1996) pp 114
