backward compatibility [was Version #defines?]

From: Toon Knapen (toon_at_[hidden])
Date: 2001-03-16 07:42:32

Jens Maurer wrote:
> #define BOOST_VERSION 0102101

I was wondering about what the cause could have
been for suggesting a boost version define.

The main reason to use defines is to overcome
platform incompatibilities (e.g. boost/config.hpp)
, in my experience anyway.

The nice thing about boost being multi-platform
is that my code (that uses boost) is not full
of #ifdef's testing all different platforms.

Due to the portability of boost, the version define
would thus mainly be used to catch 
interface incompatibilites of the boost
libraries itself.

But here we can again follow the same approach
as we're doing for multi-platform portability in
boost : provide the compatibility in the library
instead of all users redeveloping their own
solution based on #ifdef's.

If an interface changes, a component could also
be foreseen that support the interface of the 
previous release of the library but is implemented
on top of the latest release.

Maybe a misunderstood the whole discussion
but nevertheless wanted to know the real incentive
for this define.

toon