Re: [boost] Detection of wchar_t for Intel compiler

From: Beman Dawes (bdawes_at_[hidden])
Date: 2004-01-26 16:48:00

At 03:19 PM 1/26/2004, Guillaume Melquiond wrote:
 >Hi,
 >
 >There was a recent change to the config/compiler/intel.hpp file in order
 >to change (one more time) the way the detection of wchar_t works. I'm
 >not a user of wchar_t, so I'm not interested in these changes. However,
 >after updating my CVS repository, the Intel compiler (Linux platform)
 >complained whenever I tried to use a Boost library. Indeed, there was a
 >typo in the Config part of Boost.
 >
 >So I've committed a trivial fix to CVS head. However it was a bit
 >annoying to note that a patch had been committed to such an important
 >place carefreely (otherwise the bug would have been found). This is my
 >first concern: the configuration of a compiler had been changed without
 >even being tested.

Yes. What should really happen is that all uses of that toolset are seen 
dependent on the toolset, so when it changes a recompilation of all tests 
occurs.

 >Second concern: since the patch was not tested on this compiler/platform
 >configuration, is it sure it behaves sanely? Since there was a lot of
 >changes in this area, shouldn't a specific test file be added in order
 >to finally ensure the correct detection of wchar_t? I can also directly
 >exercise some testcases if provided; I can test with ICC 7 and 8 for
 >Linux.

Yes. wchar_t has been a problem for a long time.

 >Finally, my third concern: shouldn't such changes be committed to the
 >release branch since they directly involve the configuration of an
 >existing compiler?

Yes, please!

 >Sorry for this long mail, but since release time draws near, I wanted to
 >point out this problem.

Thanks - it need to be pointed out.

--Beman