Re: [Boost-users] [serialization] Announcing eos portable archive

Subject: Re: [Boost-users] [serialization] Announcing eos portable archive
From: Daniel Krügler (dsp_at_[hidden])
Date: 2008-09-26 04:53:47

Pfligersdorffer, Christian wrote:
[..]
> 
>> b) The version of the portable binary library that is
>> currently part of the package uses the endianness on the
>> machine which create the archive.  On reading the archive,
>> the endienness is swapped around if and only if the the
>> endienness of the reading machine is different than that
>> contained in the archive.  The endiennes of the archive is
>> stored in the archive header. The idea is  that the most
>> likely reader of an archive is one using the same endienness
>> of the  creator. Also, Endienness of the archive being
>> created can be overridden during archive construction. This
>> is basically a way of keeping myself out of any endieness debate.
> 
> I see. The issue also came up in the lengthy cross-platform binary
> serialization a few weeks ago. I personally understand one would like to
> choose the endianness but what great benefits does it bear? We chose
> little endian because it is most widely used and was convenient to
> implement. I guess it would be a minor modification to allow for both
> but I don't deem it neccessary.

IMO taking care of the endianness should be an important aspect
of a portable binary library.

Just my 2 cents,

Daniel