Re: [boost] [clang][preprocessor] Testing of clang emualting the VC++ preprocessor on Windows

Subject: Re: [boost] [clang][preprocessor] Testing of clang emualting the VC++ preprocessor on Windows
From: degski (degski_at_[hidden])
Date: 2016-04-01 03:25:57

On 1 April 2016 at 06:47, Paul Mensonides <pmenso57_at_[hidden]> wrote:

Why do they need support?  Compiler != platform.
>

You're right, approaching it this way. vs2015 Update 2 is the only compiler
that "needs" support,  as it will compile code that runs on W7SP1, W8.1 and
W10 (as they are the M$ supported OSes). In a world of open source and free
(as in beer) compilers/OSes, this is not an issue, just upgrade to the
latest and greatest.

The latter, is M$'s goal, get the whole world on W10 and have forced
upgrades (with a 3 month delay of execution for the enterprise edition). A
lot of (in particular) companies dont' seem to like that, apparently.

VC++ being the "de facto" compiler on the platform is a huge part of the
> problem.

 I don't really see what you intend to say here. Their platform, their
compiler.

Moreover, no C++ code should have to support any compiler whatsoever.

Boost doesn't have to support VC++ either, correct, but it does it's best
to do so.

Code should target the standard.  Compilers should target the standard.
> Any temporary workarounds for bugs or missing features should be exactly
> that: temporary.

AFAIK that's what M$ is working at. Windows pre-dates Linux by over 5
years, i.e. no gcc/clang whatever. Windows predates "The Standard", you are
referring to, by 13 years. The bugs and missing features ARE temporary,
their time-frame differs from yours, though.

M$ suffers from legacy code like any other company. Being commmercial and
supporting a huge user base, I can see that they don't re-write the OS in
one go, i.e. they depend on the bad choices of the past.

degski