Re: [boost] [serialization] Support for multiple class name strings

From: Robert Ramey (ramey_at_[hidden])
Date: 2007-03-21 14:24:05

Zajo wrote:
> There is another warning which is missing from the documentation:
> portable code can not rely on BOOST_CLASS_EXPORT to register a class
> unless the user explicitly calls a function from a compilation unit
> that "sees" that particular BOOST_CLASS_EXPORT call. This is because
> it relies on a global object's constructor to initiate the
> registration process, but a good compiler will deadstrip all such
> global objects unless the user explicitly calls a function from the
> compilation unit that defines them.
> In other words BOOST_CLASS_EXPORT isn't automatic because a portable
> program is required to (manually) call a (possibly empty) function
> from the registered class' cpp file. This is contradictory to
> BOOST_CLASS_EXPORT's intended use to register derived classes
> automatically, just by linking their cpp files.

I don't think that's currently true - if it ever was.  The code specifically
addresses this issue with a number of compiler specific adjustments
to insure that code is not stripped.  These adjustments have proved
effective for all compilers/linkers that boost supports (with the possible
exception of CodeWarror).  So maybe its true were the system
compiled on a strickly comformant compiler which has no extensions
to prevent code stripping, but as far as I know, there is no
such compiler being used.   I also believe that its unlikely that
any such compiler/combination will ever see the light of day since
it would be useless for building DLLs (shared libraries).

Robert Ramey

>
> Emil Dotchevski
>
>
>
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