Re: [Boost-users] [Serialization] Inconsistent tracking_level whenswitching from static to DLL

Subject: Re: [Boost-users] [Serialization] Inconsistent tracking_level whenswitching from static to DLL
From: Guy Prémont (guy.premont_at_[hidden])
Date: 2010-12-01 14:00:36

> 
> This is a result of the serialization library maybe being a little too
> smart for it's own good.
> 
> The default behavior is to track if serialized as a pointer.  This
> could vary if one invocation uses serialization of pointers and other
> doesn't.  At one point I included code which would trap when the
> serialization code for same type appeard in more than one DLL.  This
> fixed the problem, but it required that users organize their code so
> that serialization of a specific type be included in one and only one
> DLL.  This turned out to be too onerous a requirement so I had to
> comment out this check.
> 
> So, I'm going to guess that the safest thing is for such types is to
> either turn tracking off or on rather than using the default.
> 
> Robert Ramey
> 
> 

Thanks, it is what I thought. I am curious about the trap to check if
serialization code is in several DLLs. What kind of code organisation are
you talking about? 

In my case, the serialization code for a class T is in only one DLL, but it
is used called by each DLL that contains serialization for a class that uses
class T. The method T::serialize is in only one DLL.

However, if class A has a member of type T it would have
template<typename Archive>
void A::serialize(Archive& ar, int version)
{
    ar & t; // where t is a T 
}
As far as i see, it is the invocation of serialization in a serialize method
(ar & t) that triggers the creation of the o/iserializer for type T. Is that
it?
In the case where t is a T*, the creation of a pointer_o/iserializer would
be triggered.

Thanks a lot for your input.
Guy