Re: [Boost-users] [Serialization] Writing an old version of a class

Subject: Re: [Boost-users] [Serialization] Writing an old version of a class
From: Noah Roberts (roberts.noah_at_[hidden])
Date: 2011-07-15 16:41:14

On 7/15/2011 5:27 AM, Don wrote:
> I apologize if this is a duplicate posting. I sent this 2 days ago, and
> it appears in the archives, but I never received it back from the list
> and there have been no replies, so I am posting it again.
>
> Using boost serialization, I would like to be able to write an old
> version of a class, so that I can save data in an "old" format to allow
> other users with an old version of my program to read the file.
>
> I see from the archives that this has come up before, and Robert Ramey
> indicated it was doable and on the todo list, but I don't see it in the
> release notes or documentation. Did anything every come of this?

As far as I had been informed, backward compatibility in writing was 
never planned for the serialization library and was never even planned 
to be planned.  I don't think you'll find a way to do it without 
severely altering the library itself.

Personally, I think this is a significantly lacking feature and I'd love 
to see it implemented.  If you pull it off, please consider sharing.