Re: [boost] [container][interprocess][intrusive][move] Removing support for old compilers

Subject: Re: [boost] [container][interprocess][intrusive][move] Removing support for old compilers
From: Peter Dimov (lists_at_[hidden])
Date: 2018-10-01 15:56:27

Edward Diener wrote:

> I do not think supporting gcc versions before 4.8 is really necessary.
...
> I would not worry much about dropping these older compilers. Nobody should 
> really be using them anymore in realistic C++ programming environments.

I don't quite agree.

It is absolutely reasonable to drop support for ancient compilers if this 
impedes further development of a library.

However, for libraries that have been written when those compilers were 
current, have always supported them, and are presently in maintenance mode, 
I do not view it as reasonable to break those compilers out of spite or out 
of negligence.

If a library has always worked on GCC 4.4, we should try to keep it working 
until GCC 4.4 is officially pronounced dead.

(A compiler is officially pronounced dead when Ion announces that he'll no 
longer support it. :-) )