Re: [boost] Checking interest in DynamicLoad/DLL/DSO/Plugin library

Subject: Re: [boost] Checking interest in DynamicLoad/DLL/DSO/Plugin library
From: Niall Douglas (s_sourceforge_at_[hidden])
Date: 2014-08-15 12:44:33

On 15 Aug 2014 at 15:36, Antony Polukhin wrote:

> There is a basic implementation of a header only Plugin library:
> https://github.com/apolukhin/Boost.Plugin
> 
> Documentation with examples could be found here:
> http://apolukhin.github.io/Boost.Plugin/index.html
> 
> Is there an interest in such library in Boost community?
> What features are missing in the library?
> 
> Looking forward to hearing from you. Any feedback is more than welcomed.

It definitely has the wrong name because it doesn't implement 
plugins, it basically is a wrapper for the POSIX and Windows dynamic 
shared library functions. Boost.SharedLibrary is a far better name.

Now, if you did want to implement a Boost Plugins library, combining 
John Bandela's CppComponents 
(https://github.com/jbandela/cppcomponents) header only library which 
turns C++ objects into portable Microsoft COM compatible objects and 
Boost.ASIO as the event dispatch loop would probably be an optimal 
solution. Not only does that seamlessly plug into all Microsoft 
technologies, it also is an easy way of SWIG exposing your object 
into all the languages SWIG supports. If anyone is interested in 
implementing this solution to Boost quality, I believe I might be 
able to get you hourly funding to do it - contact me off list.

That said, I have no objection to your library or its design which is 
solid, so long as it is named more appropriately to what it provides. 
I suppose my only real qualm is that I wish your library did more.

Niall

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