Re: [boost] [RFC] Boost library name mangling and Microsoft's 'secure STL' feature.

Subject: Re: [boost] [RFC] Boost library name mangling and Microsoft's 'secure STL' feature.
From: Ulrich Eckhardt (doomster_at_[hidden])
Date: 2008-09-08 02:20:31

On Wednesday 03 September 2008 22:57:20 Jurko Gospodnetiæ wrote:
> [...] MSVC compiler versions 8.0 & above.

Sorry for the rant to follow, but please erase that term from your head. The 
problem with that term is that it doesn't help at all, it is rather a 
dangerous form of half-knowledge.

Now, what's the issue? The issue is that MS versions their compilers 
independently from the IDE's they ship it with. That means that VC8 actually 
includes version 13 of their compiler. Or, rather, of their compiler_S_, 
because they support more than one target platform. Also, those target 
platforms are not just win32 and now recently the Intel and AMD 64 bit 
platforms, but also a handful of platforms for embedded use (MIPS, SH, 
ARM..). Further, they don't only ship that compiler with VC, but also with a 
tool called "Platform Builder", which allows you to select components for a 
CE OS and assemble/compile those into a bootable image. Lastly, the question 
what associated stdlib is used is independent of the compiler, e.g. 
that 'secure STL' you are writing about may or may not be available under 
CE - the compiler version doesn't tell you.

As far as your initial RFC goes, I haven't looked too deeply at it, but if 
anything important comes up I'll add that. Otherwise, I'm all for activating 
the diagnostic mode optionally.

cheers!

Uli