Re: [boost] Library Proposal: Reflection for C++

From: Stefan Roiser (stefan.roiser_at_[hidden])
Date: 2006-01-30 10:37:53

On 30 Jan 2006, at 15:03, Stefan Seefeld wrote:

> Stefan Roiser wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> We would like to propose a library and tools which enhance C++ with
>> reflection capabilities. The package, "Reflex", provides a library
>> for runtime introspection and interaction with C++ "constructs" such
>> as objects, types, scopes, members, templated types, ... The library
>> has no external dependencies and was developed with the ISO/IEC
>> standard for C++ as guideline.
>>
>> Production of dictionary information of arbitrary C++ definitions is
>> done via a Python script (genreflex), in a non-intrusive way, using
>> an external tool (gccxml - www.gccxml.org). The generated dictionary
>> source code can be compiled into a shared library, dynamically loaded
>> and accessed via an API providing the introspection information.
>
> How does this compare to OpenC++ (http://opencxx.sf.net) ?
>
> Also, have you looked into synopsis (http://synopsis.fresco.org) ? It
> started by using the OpenC++ parser and infrastructure, but has been
> largely rewritten since then.

I was not aware of synopsis. Both projects are very interesting but  
their scope seems to be different. I understood that both use  
reflection as a vehicle for their needs while Reflex only  
concentrates on introspection and interaction with C++. Reflex does  
also not try to parse C++ definitions itself but leaves this to  
gccxml (a frontend of gcc) and subsequently processes it's xml output  
to produce dictionary source code. My guess is, that it is very hard  
to implement a C++ parser. So with Reflex the dictionary information  
for any C++ definition which is compilable with gcc, can be produced.  
What may also be important is, that reflection source code is  
produced in a non-intrusive way and that interaction with objects  
from the meta-level is possible.

Cheers

        Stefan

-- 
Stefan Roiser
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