'extern template' (was Re: [libstdc++ RFC] stl_vector.h overhaul, part 1 of 2)

[Phil Edwards]

[gcc-patches removed, mark added]


On Sat, May 18, 2002 at 08:18:03AM -0700, B. Kosnik wrote:
> > For part 2, I plan to move the out-of-class definitions to a .tcc
> > file, like other non-SGI files are already doing.  Also, some of the
> > functions that are defined in-class, but are too big to be inlined,
> > should probably be moved out of class, but that gets into ABI
> > territory and needs more eyes than mine.
> 
> Forgot to add this to the initial inlining comment: for the required
> types in iostreams, locales, etc. (ie, the ones that the library
>  instantiates and thus the ones that matter for the library ABI) I used
>  the 'extern template' trick to remove inline instantiations, so the
>  situation is not quite as bleak as was made out previously.

There was debate at one point whether this was causing problems on AIX and
other link-quirky platforms, wasn't there?  All I recall is maybe it's
an optimization, maybe it's a semantic change, or something like that.
Was a conclusion reached?


Phil

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