[boost] Re: Files of types *.ipp are unfriendly, especially to MSVC ?

From: David Abrahams (dave_at_[hidden])
Date: 2003-08-09 07:40:04

"Paul A. Bristow" <boost_at_[hidden]> writes:

> Please can you say why we need yet another file type? what is wrong
> with .cpp or .hpp?

If you want to split up your template sources into interface and
implementation (there are lots of good reasons to do that, including
controlling instantiation), you can't very well use the same name
(foo.hpp) twice, and foo.cpp wouldn't be appropriate for either one.
foo.ipp clearly delineates the file as an implementation file intended to
be #included in foo.hpp.

-- 
Dave Abrahams
Boost Consulting
www.boost-consulting.com