Re: [boost] [serialization] patch for portable_binary_oarchive.hpp

From: Michael Marcin (mmarcin_at_[hidden])
Date: 2007-11-03 19:49:57

Peter Dimov wrote:
> Sebastian Redl:
> ...
> 
>>> and the standard requires a reinterpret_cast to yield a pointer to the 
>>> first
>>> element (9.2/17).
>>>
>> The standard says no such thing. It speaks of a pointer "suitably
>> converted". It doesn't say that reinterpret_cast is such a suitable
>> conversion; in fact, the definition of reinterpret_cast itself makes it
>> very clear that it is not.
> 
> The sentence is
> 
> A pointer to a POD-struct object, suitably converted using a 
> reinterpret_cast, points to its initial member (or if that member is a 
> bit-field, then to the unit in which it resides) and vice versa.
> 
> Note the "using a reinterpret_cast" part that immediately follows the 
> "suitably converted" part. 
> 

I'm not sure what "suitably converted" means but if the compiler has 
enough information to prove that a type is not a POD-struct then what 
relevance does this have? If none than it must also have no relevance to 
generic programming.

The cast chain is very ugly, hard to read, and is certainly not self 
documenting. Perhaps this is a spot for another utility cast?

Thanks,

Michael Marcin