Tcl_NewBooleanObj creates a new Tcl_Obj, stores the boolean value intValue in it, and returns a pointer to the new Tcl_Obj. The new Tcl_Obj has reference count of zero.
Tcl_SetBooleanObj accepts objPtr, a pointer to an existing Tcl_Obj, and stores in the Tcl_Obj *objPtr the boolean value intValue. This is a write operation on *objPtr, so objPtr must be unshared. Attempts to write to a shared Tcl_Obj will panic. A successful write of intValue into *objPtr implies the freeing of any former value stored in *objPtr.
Tcl_GetBooleanFromObj attempts to retrieve a boolean value from the value stored in *objPtr. If objPtr holds a string value recognized by Tcl_GetBoolean, then the recognized boolean value is written at the address given by boolPtr. If objPtr holds any value recognized as a number by Tcl, then if that value is zero a 0 is written at the address given by boolPtr and if that value is non-zero a 1 is written at the address given by boolPtr. In all cases where a value is written at the address given by boolPtr, Tcl_GetBooleanFromObj returns TCL_OK. If the value of objPtr does not meet any of the conditions above, then TCL_ERROR is returned and an error message is left in the interpreter's result unless interp is NULL. Tcl_GetBooleanFromObj may also make changes to the internal fields of *objPtr so that future calls to Tcl_GetBooleanFromObj on the same objPtr can be performed more efficiently.
Tcl_GetBoolFromObj functions almost the same as Tcl_GetBooleanFromObj, but it has an additional parameter flags, which can be used to specify whether the empty string or NULL is accepted as valid.
Note that the routines Tcl_GetBooleanFromObj and Tcl_GetBoolean are not functional equivalents. The set of values for which Tcl_GetBooleanFromObj will return TCL_OK is strictly larger than the set of values for which Tcl_GetBoolean will do the same. For example, the value “5” passed to Tcl_GetBooleanFromObj will lead to a TCL_OK return (and the boolean value 1), while the same value passed to Tcl_GetBoolean will lead to a TCL_ERROR return.
Tcl_SetBooleanObj does not modify the reference count of its objPtr argument, but does require that the object be unshared.
Tcl_GetBooleanFromObj does not modify the reference count of its objPtr argument; it only reads. Note however that this function may set the interpreter result; if that is the only place that is holding a reference to the object, it will be deleted.