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

From: Sebastian Redl (sebastian.redl_at_[hidden])
Date: 2006-02-04 12:46:13

David Abrahams wrote:

>That might be easier than you think.  There's always 
>
>  system("c++ whatever.cpp...")
>  
>
Still unportable. The MS compiler is called cl, the Borland one bcc. 
What about different versions of GCC that might be called, and their 
varying ABIs? How to know the exact object file format produced? What if 
the application doesn't have write access to a temporary directory to 
place source and object file in? For that matter, how does the 
application find out the temporary directory?

Yes, it's possible to invoke an installed compiler to produce object 
code, but it creates a lot of problems on its own.

I think the most promising idea would be to combine an existing special 
representation (e.g. that of Synopsis) with a custom gcc frontend and 
embed the gcc backend into a library. Intercept the output. A custom 
linker that is able to link with a running application would probably be 
needed.

Then the only remaining problem is that GCC's license is incompatible 
with Boost's.

Sebastian Redl