Re: [boost] Boost binary serialization, patch proposal for cross architectures compatibility

From: Steve Gury (steve.gury_at_[hidden])
Date: 2007-02-11 13:14:52

Ok Robert,

it seems you have already done the work ! "portable_binary_archive" fixes
effectively the problem.
I haven't founded that code before writing my patch.

Thanks for your response,
Steve

On 2/11/07, Robert Ramey <ramey_at_[hidden]> wrote:
>
> Note that the native binary format has not pretentions to
> portability.  Its
> designed to be the leanest and fastest version.
>
> How is this different from "portable_archive" example included in the
> package?
>
> Robert Ramey
>
> Steve Gury wrote:
> >> Hi,
> >>
> >> I'm a user of boost serialization and I've detected a small lack in
> >> inter-architecture compatibility.
> >>
> >> Issue:
> >> The C and C++ programming languages have different native storage of
> >> standard type depending on the architecture of the operating system.
> >> For example: On a Linux 64bits (LP64), a long variable is stored
> >> with 8 bytes
> >> but on a Windows 32bits (ILP32) that same variable will be stored
> >> with 4 bytes.
> >> Using boost binary serialization as common format for data exchange
> >> between those different systems won't work fine.
> >> I've written a small patch to fix this issue.
> >>
> >> Change:
> >> _ Detect if binary serialized data come from a system with different
> >> native architecture by reading the header. Even if archive is
> >> created with the flag "no_header", the architecture signature is
> >> stored. _ Change the way how std::string (char*, and other) are
> >> stored. We have to store the string's length as a fixed size type
> >> (I've chosen unsigned int)
> >> and not size_t (which is an unsigned integer of 64bits on 64bits
> >> architecture and of 32bits on 32bits architecture).
> >> _ Change the way how long and unsigned long are stored by
> >> specializing template function for saving and loading.
> >> _ All those changes have been protected by a "#define
> >> BOOST_CROSS_ARCHITECTURE_COMPATIBLE"
> >>
> >> I've compiled and tested this patch, on Windows XP 32bits, Debian
> >> Linux 64bits (x86_64), compiled with Visual Studio 2005 ( 8.0) and
> >> gcc 4.1
> >>
> >> Best regards,
> >> Steve Gury
> >>
> >> PS:You can find the patch as attachment.
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> >> _______________________________________________
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>
>
>
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