Re: [boost] Is there interest in a library for object (especially STL object) marshalling?

Subject: Re: [boost] Is there interest in a library for object (especially STL object) marshalling?
From: Gavin Lambert (gavinl_at_[hidden])
Date: 2013-10-10 18:30:22

On 10/10/2013 3:07 PM, Quoth Roger Sanders:
> The only compiler requirement here is that each assembly uses a compatible
> C++ ABI, or at least, as much as is required to allow calling a virtual
> member function on an object that was constructed within another assembly.

That could be a steep requirement, since AFAIK vtable location and 
layout isn't standardised, especially once you start getting into 
multiple and virtual inheritance.  And name mangling can get in the way 
of finding the things to be called in the first place.

And memory management is always entertaining given that all sorts of 
weird and different allocators can be in use even before you introduce a 
different compiler into the mix.  (Though this is where shared_ptr and 
unique_ptr's pointer+deleter concept can get you out of a jam, although 
it's more common to use opaque handles and explicit destroy functions.)

Having said that: if you can make it work, it would be awesome.