Re: [boost] type_traits proposal

From: David Abrahams (david.abrahams_at_[hidden])
Date: 2002-01-13 15:59:52

----- Original Message -----
From: "Lee Brown" <lee_at_[hidden]>

> > template <class T>
> > struct is_polymorphic
> > {
> >    struct d1 : public T
> >    {
> >       d1();
> >       char padding[256];
> >    };
> >    struct d2 : public T
> >    {
> >       d2();
> >       virtual ~d2();
> >       virtual void foo();
> >       char padding[256];
> >    };
> >    BOOST_STATIC_CONSTANT(bool, value = (sizeof(d2) == sizeof(d1)));
> > };
>
> This reminds me of the guy who got wings and flew too close to the sun.
> I understand that a programmer sometimes has got to do what he's got to
> do, but ....  C++ was designed to avoid this sort of hack.

I have to disagree. If it were designed to avoid it, we would have a
portable, standard way to do things like this - one that doesn't instantiate
3 more classes than neccessary. Maybe in the next standard...

-Dave