Re: [boost] throw_exception rev. 44954 -> g++ warnings

From: Simonson, Lucanus J (lucanus.j.simonson_at_[hidden])
Date: 2008-05-03 16:26:09

>Do you realize that you just made an argument why it is important for 
>the destructor to be virtual ?
>If the compiler doesn't know the exact type (and thus can't inline the 
>call), there is a serious risk that any derived destructor might need
to 
>be executed, but the compiler doesn't know that (and neither does the 
>runtime, as there is no entry for the destructor in the vtable).
>It doesn't matter whether the base-class destructor is a no-op. What 
>matters is what is in the derived class destructor, which you (or the 
>base class implementor) does not have any control over.

I clearly understand the reason why the destructor of polymorphic types
should be declared virtual.  I was trying to make an argument against
polymorphism in general, because it produces much greater runtime
overhead than most people seem to appreciate when used on simple types
that should be heavily inlined.  In fact, I don't myself understand the
reason Emil has for not declaring the destructor virtual in this case.
He said he didn't care about overhead, after all.  I was simply pointing
out that the overhead is greater than what Hartmut suggested.  So great,
in fact, that I prefer to avoid polymorphic programming style for that
very reason.

Thanks,
Luke