Re: [boost] Automating the header compilation check. was :[thread]1.36 thread.hpp compilation problem

Subject: Re: [boost] Automating the header compilation check. was :[thread]1.36 thread.hpp compilation problem
From: vicente.botet (vicente.botet_at_[hidden])
Date: 2008-09-05 14:09:54

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Emil Dotchevski" <emil_at_[hidden]>
To: <boost_at_[hidden]>
Sent: Friday, September 05, 2008 7:22 PM
Subject: Re: [boost] Automating the header compilation check. was 
:[thread]1.36 thread.hpp compilation problem

>
> On Fri, Sep 5, 2008 at 2:10 AM, John Maddock <john_at_[hidden]> 
> wrote:
>> vicente.botet wrote:
>> BTW, it's not sufficient to simply include the header: if the header
>> contains templates, then you also need to instantiate those templates to
>> ensure everything they use is visible to them.  Not sure how one would
>> automate that :-(
>
> I do think that we should have a system that automatically verifies
> that all public header files compile by themselves, but any #includes
> beyond what's needed to compile the header itself are not desirable. I
> specifically don't want any #includes that are not needed until a
> template is instantiated.
>
> If we have an automatic header test, I'd like it to attempt to remove
> #includes until it finds the minimum needed to compile the file,
> because I'm sure we have many #includes that perhaps were needed
> before but are no longer necessary.

I want to quote what Larry Evans said on another post
"FWIW, I think this is a good test for every library header. I confess
I've often wondered whether many of my headers include
   1) too much
or
   2) not enough.

This test would at least assure the 2) doesn't happen. "

What you are asking corresponds to 1). It will be glad to have such a 
automatic system, but it will need surely much more effort to get working, 
and also a lot of compile time.

Note that 2) has already been implemented by Steave W.

Best,

Vicente