Re: [XaraXtreme-dev] Tools folder - what is it good for?

[Ben Summers <ben@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 24 Mar 2006, at 18:46, Alex Bligh wrote:

> --On 24 March 2006 18:35 +0000 Ben Summers <ben@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > So, would it be possible to auto-generate a C binary interface which
> > doesn't change when you change the C++ object? Could it be little   
> > more
> > than a shim layer? And I'm sure it could be source code   
> > compatible, so a
> > plugin could be compiled in without the shim layer.
>
> I am not sure how "auto-", but yes perhaps.

If you select the classes of interest, then use the output of nm to  
find all the relevant functions in that class, you should be able to  
do something simple but effective which will insulate from binary  
changes as the classes evolve.

> But I still think the current
> directory distinction is not helpful. It doesn't (for instance)  
> specify
> which bits of API would need such auto-generation. Tools (quite  
> correctly)
> call into the Oil layer, for instance to get resources. Part of the
> issue here would be designating which bits of API are meant to remain
> stable, so they could be "en-shimmed".

I didn't mean to suggest that the whole task would be easy, just that  
the use of C++ itself should not be a barrier.

Ben