C++ components?

[Ben Laurie <be...@gonzo.ben.algroup.co.uk>]

OK, I know a lot of you don't like C++ (though I really think you don't know
what you are missing). But, it'd be nice to be able to use C++ with Apache.
I know that I've been asked about it several times.

I'd be interested to know about these things:

1. Would anyone object if I C++-proofed Apache? This would probably not be
much more than the odd extern "C" in the headers.

2. Which OSes don't support C++?

3. Which OSes don't support templates?

4. Do any of you actually like C++?

5. Would there be any interest in creating C++ wrapper classes?

6. Would there be any interest in creating a completely C++ Apache?

Cheers,

Ben.

-- 
Ben Laurie                  Phone: +44 (181) 994 6435
Freelance Consultant and    Fax:   +44 (181) 994 6472
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Re: C++ components?

[Brian Clapper <bm...@telebase.com>]

>>>>> "Ben" == Ben Laurie <be...@gonzo.ben.algroup.co.uk> writes:

Ben> I'd be interested to know about these things:

Ben> 2. Which OSes don't support C++?

If the platform has relatively up-to-date GCC on it, it has a reasonable
C++ compiler.

Ben> 3. Which OSes don't support templates?

Beware of templates.  Practically every compiler implements them
differently, particularly w.r.t. linkage.  I've run into lots of problems
porting templatized code between different compilers on UNIX boxes.  e.g.,
Sun SPARCWorks compiler uses one method of resolving template references;
g++ 2.6.3 uses another; cfront-conforming compilers use yet a third.
Somewhere in GCC info docs is a decent description of the difference.
E-mail me privately if you'd like me to dig it up for you; I suspect a
large percentage of the folks on this list aren't interested.

Ben> 4. Do any of you actually like C++?

Yes.

Ben> 5. Would there be any interest in creating C++ wrapper classes?

Yes.  I'll even help; might be fun.

Ben> 6. Would there be any interest in creating a completely C++ Apache?

One caution: On every UNIX platform where I've used C++, C++ executables
tend to be significantly larger than C-based executables for code that
implements similar functionality.  The bulk of our production code is
SPARC-based C++; we've decided that the maintenance and O-O advantages of
C++ outweigh the bloat.  I'm not sure the same argument can be made for
Apache.
----
Brian Clapper .............................................. bmc@telebase.com
http://www.netaxs.com/~bmc/ ............. PGP public key available on request
Can anyone remember when the times were not hard, and money not scarce?

Re: C++ components?

[Alexei Kosut <ak...@organic.com>]

On Tue, 23 Jul 1996, Ben Laurie wrote:

> 1. Would anyone object if I C++-proofed Apache? This would probably not be
> much more than the odd extern "C" in the headers.

I wouldn't.

> 4. Do any of you actually like C++?

I do. Never actually *used* it (well, a little), but I've read about it,
and like it in theory :)

The other questions I have no opinion about.

-- Alexei Kosut <ak...@organic.com>            The Apache HTTP Server 
   http://www.nueva.pvt.k12.ca.us/~akosut/      http://www.apache.org/

Re: C++ components?

[Brian Behlendorf <br...@organic.com>]

On Tue, 23 Jul 1996, Ben Laurie wrote:
> 1. Would anyone object if I C++-proofed Apache? This would probably not be
> much more than the odd extern "C" in the headers.

Probably wouldn't mind.

> 4. Do any of you actually like C++?

I didn't have a ball with it when I had to use it in college.  I ended up
making every private data member public. :)

> 6. Would there be any interest in creating a completely C++ Apache?

If we can enable C++ modules without it (which is sounds like we can) then
I'd probably be opposed to this because of the performance hit.  If we
want to recode it I suggest we start with a different language
alltogether, and hopefully Java can live up to its potential and be that
language.  If not, though, I don't think we're running into limitations of
C anytime soon.

	Brian

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