+extern void *sod_convert(const SodClass */*cls*/, const void */*obj*/);
+
+/* --- @sod_init@, @sod_initv@ --- *
+ *
+ * Arguments: @const SodClass *cls@ = class object for new instance
+ * @void *p@ = pointer to storage for new instance
+ * @va_list ap, ...@ = initialization keyword arguments
+ *
+ * Returns: Pointer to the initialized instance.
+ *
+ * Use: Initializes an instance in pre-allocated storage, and returns
+ * a pointer to it.
+ *
+ * This function will imprint the storage, and then send an
+ * `initialize' message to the fresh instance containing the
+ * provided keyword arguments.
+ *
+ * It's usually convenient to use the macro @SOD_INIT@ rather
+ * than calling @sod_init@ directly.
+ */
+
+extern KWCALL void *sod_init(const SodClass */*cls*/, void */*p*/, ...);
+extern void *sod_initv(const SodClass */*cls*/, void */*p*/, va_list /*ap*/);
+
+/* --- @sod_make@, @sod_makev@ --- *
+ *
+ * Arguments: @const SodClass *cls@ = class object for new instance
+ * @va_list ap, ...@ = initialization keyword arguments
+ *
+ * Returns: Pointer to the newly-allocated initialized instance, or null.
+ *
+ * Use: Allocates storage for a new instance, initializes it, and
+ * returns a pointer to it. If allocation fails, a null pointer
+ * is returned instead.
+ *
+ * This function will allocate the storage using @malloc@, and
+ * then initialize it as for @sod_init@.
+ *
+ * It's usually convenient to use the macro @SOD_MAKE@ rather
+ * than calling @sod_make@ directly.
+ *
+ * (This function is not available in freestanding environments
+ * lacking @malloc@ and @free@.)
+ */
+
+extern KWCALL void *sod_make(const SodClass */*cls*/, ...);
+extern void *sod_makev(const SodClass */*cls*/, va_list /*ap*/);
+
+/* --- @sod_teardown@ --- *
+ *
+ * Arguments: @void *p@ = pointer to an instance to be torn down
+ *
+ * Returns: Zero if the object is torn down; nonzero if it refused for
+ * some reason.
+ *
+ * Use: Invokes the instance's `teardown' method to release any held
+ * resources.
+ *
+ * If this function returns nonzero, then the object is still
+ * active, and may still hold important resources. This is not
+ * intended to be a failure condition: failures in teardown are
+ * usually unrecoverable (or very hard to recover from) and
+ * should probably cause the program to abort. A refusal, on
+ * the other hand, means that the object is still live and
+ * shouldn't be deallocated, but that this is a normal situation
+ * and the caller shouldn't worry about it.
+ */
+
+extern int sod_teardown(void */*p*/);
+
+/* --- @sod_destroy@ --- *
+ *
+ * Arguments: @void *p@ = pointer to an instance to be torn down, or null
+ *
+ * Returns: Zero if the object was freed; nonzero if it refused for some
+ * reason.
+ *
+ * Use: Invokes the instance's `teardown' method to release any held
+ * resources, and then calls @free@ to release the instance's
+ * storage. See @sod_teardown@ for details, especially
+ * regarding the return value's meaning.
+ *
+ * If @p@ is null, then this function does nothing except
+ * returns zero.
+ *
+ * (This function is not available in freestanding environments
+ * lacking @malloc@ and @free@.)
+ */
+
+extern int sod_destroy(void */*p*/);