i use an external XML format for configuration of CORBA (MICO) data and managed to align that with boost::serialization (To not write my own encoder/decoder and to minimize efforts for my module, in case the customer wants more CORBA objects/methods in future. Actually i think it would be a good options to let generate the boost::serialitzation helper file directly by MICO idl compiler.) OK, for this now i have to check, that the (external, non by boost::serialization generated) XML image is _actually_ compliant with C/C++ data structures - especially for dynamic sized data. That is also covered now, the checks do fine. But what i didn't manage is to get the _location_ of error in the XML file - in case there is an error. I tried use an make_nvp_wrapper: class MakeNVPPathConcat { std::string org; public: static std::string make_nvp_path_; // TODO: make private, use accessor MakeNVPPathConcat(std::string name) { org = make_nvp_path_; make_nvp_path_ += (make_nvp_path_.empty())? "" : "::"; make_nvp_path_ += name; } ~MakeNVPPathConcat() { make_nvp_path_ = org; } }; namespace boost { namespace serialization { /************************************************ * * boost::serialization::make_nvp(...) wrapper * ************************************************/ template<class T> inline #ifndef BOOST_NO_FUNCTION_TEMPLATE_ORDERING const #endif boost::serialization::nvp<T> make_nvp_wrapper (const char * name, T & t ) { std::string strName ( name ); MakeNVPPathConcat makeNVPPathConcat( strName ); return boost::serialization::make_nvp<T>( name, t ); } } // namespace serialization } // namespace boost Then using the ( i hoped ) recursively concatenated path information e.g. here: template<class Archive, int TID, int max> void load ( Archive & ar, BoundedSequenceTmpl<CORBA::Short, TID, max> &p, const unsigned int version) { std::string const myname("boost::serialization::load[BoundedSequenceTmpl<CORBA::Short, TID, max>]"); std::string str; ar & make_nvp_wrapper("value", str); std::string::size_type strlength = str.size(); if (strlength > p.maximum()) { std::ostringstream err; err <<myname << " - internal error: can't import XML image for <" << MakeNVPPathConcat::make_nvp_path_ << "> (type CORBA object BoundedSequenceTmpl<CORBA::Short, TID, max>) - size #" << strlength << " exceeds maximum length #" << p.maximum(); throw std::runtime_error(err.str()); } p.length(strlength); for (std::string::size_type pos=0; pos<strlength; ++pos) { p[pos] = str.at(pos); } } But it didn't work. I was 1st wondering if my MakeNVPPathConcat might go out of scope too early. But finally i found out, that the serialize (load&save) helpers are not invoked recursively(???) Because if i use a modified version of my wrapper: class MakeNVPPathConcat // TODO: hide this one { std::string org; public: // TODO: make private, use accessor static std::string make_nvp_path_; MakeNVPPathConcat(std::string name) { OUSTprotoDebug("### c'tor"); org = make_nvp_path_; make_nvp_path_ += (make_nvp_path_.empty())? "" : "::"; make_nvp_path_ += name; } ~MakeNVPPathConcat() { // make_nvp_path_ = org; OUSTprotoDebug("### d'tor"); make_nvp_path_ += "-- reset --"; } }; namespace boost { namespace serialization { /************************************************ * * boost::serialization::make_nvp(...) wrapper * ************************************************/ template<class T> inline #ifndef BOOST_NO_FUNCTION_TEMPLATE_ORDERING const #endif boost::serialization::nvp<T> make_nvp_wrapper (const char * name, T & t ) { OUSTprotoDebug("### invoked for <%s>", name); std::string strName ( name ); MakeNVPPathConcat makeNVPPathConcat( strName ); boost::serialization::nvp<T> ret = boost::serialization::make_nvp<T>( name, t ); OUSTprotoDebug("### done for <%s>", name); return ret; } } // namespace serialization } // namespace boost The result is: opsc_hlr :2204 084723:D:### invoked for <pModifyHlrSubscriberIn> opsc_hlr :2204 084723:D:### c'tor opsc_hlr :2204 084723:D:### done for <pModifyHlrSubscriberIn> opsc_hlr :2204 084723:D:### d'tor opsc_hlr :2204 084723:D:### invoked for <imsi> opsc_hlr :2204 084723:D:### c'tor opsc_hlr :2204 084723:D:### done for <imsi> opsc_hlr :2204 084723:D:### d'tor opsc_hlr :2204 084723:D:### invoked for <value> opsc_hlr :2204 084723:D:### c'tor opsc_hlr :2204 084723:D:### done for <value> opsc_hlr :2204 084723:D:### d'tor So there is no recursion(???). Is there another way to get a "where am i" information within a serialize (load/save) helper? - thanks! Regards! Frank