[Boost-bugs] [Boost C++ Libraries] #9102: Various Boost header files define variables with internal linkage, which results in unnecessary code bloat

Subject: [Boost-bugs] [Boost C++ Libraries] #9102: Various Boost header files define variables with internal linkage, which results in unnecessary code bloat
From: Boost C++ Libraries (noreply_at_[hidden])
Date: 2013-09-11 09:39:06

#9102: Various Boost header files define variables with internal linkage, which
results in unnecessary code bloat
-------------------------------+------------------------------
 Reporter:  abacabadabacaba@…  |       Type:  Bugs
   Status:  new                |  Milestone:  To Be Determined
Component:  None               |    Version:  Boost 1.54.0
 Severity:  Optimization       |   Keywords:
-------------------------------+------------------------------
 Some Boost headers define variables with internal linkage. For example, in
 `boost/system/error_code.hpp`:
 {{{
     static const error_category &  posix_category = generic_category();
     static const error_category &  errno_ecat     = generic_category();
     static const error_category &  native_ecat    = system_category();
 }}}
 In `boost/asio/error.hpp`:
 {{{
 static const boost::system::error_category& system_category
   = boost::asio::error::get_system_category();
 static const boost::system::error_category& netdb_category
   = boost::asio::error::get_netdb_category();
 static const boost::system::error_category& addrinfo_category
   = boost::asio::error::get_addrinfo_category();
 static const boost::system::error_category& misc_category
   = boost::asio::error::get_misc_category();
 }}}
 Because of this, every translation unit that includes these headers
 results in a separate instance of each of these variables in the resulting
 executable file. Because these variables have non-constant initializers,
 not only they are not eliminated during linking, even if not used, but
 also each instance of such variable results in a call to a initialization
 function during program startup.

 I think that merely including a Boost header, without using anything from
 it, should not result in any extra code remaining in the resulting
 executable - especially not if each translation unit results in a separate
 copy of such code.

-- 
Ticket URL: <https://svn.boost.org/trac/boost/ticket/9102>
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