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

From: Stefan Seefeld (seefeld_at_[hidden])
Date: 2006-01-30 11:08:19

Stefan Roiser wrote:

> 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++.

Synopsis is meant to be a code-source introspection framework
(with the first application being a documentation tool). From
what I understand it has about the same scope as Reflex.

> 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.  

Right, though gccxml has some drawbacks, too.

> 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.

That is true for synopsis, too.

FWIW,
                Stefan