Re: [boost] ABI and API compatibility

From: Sebastian Redl (sebastian.redl_at_[hidden])
Date: 2008-04-24 06:37:09

Jens Seidel wrote:
> On Thu, Apr 24, 2008 at 09:14:25AM +0400, Vladimir Prus wrote:
>   
>> 1. Applications using 1.35.0 need not be changed at all.
>>     
>
> This means the API, the Application Program Interface, does not
> change (no changes in source code required).
>   
This ought to be doable without too much trouble for minor releases.
>> 2. If application link to 1.35.0 as dynamic library, then
>> switching them to use 1.35.1 should not break anything.
>>     
>
> This means the ABI, the Application Binary Interface, does not
> change.
>   
Since most of Boost's libraries are header-only, that's meaningless for 
them. Mostly, anyway.
ABI compatibility is to be maintained by the compiled libraries 
foremost, they would have to worry about this the most. It can be done 
with a bit of understanding of the issues and some discipline.
The question is, is it worth it? Any application that uses a precompiled 
Boost component probably uses other Boost components, too. As such, the 
likelihood is high that upgrading Boost means recompiling the 
application. Thus, keeping the ABI is kind of pointless.

Sebastian