I think, I've got a serious problem writing portable code using C++.  So before
I start to implement some critical C++ code, I'd like to know if some features
of current C++ compilers (e.g. SunOS, Gnu) are also subject to the
standardization process.


So here's my problem:

Many compilers allow to access the virtual tables that are constructed when
using virtual methods.  For instance __vptr may be used within C++ source
code (in cfront of the SunOS CC 3.0 compiler) to instantiate/modify the code
address of a single virtual method dynamically at runtime (without
introducing a new derived class at the desgin step).  This technique is i.e.
a very attractive feature to implement runtime binding of methods in new
object oriented operating systems.

I've already scanned the FAQ, but I found no hint on this topic, so I decided
to post an article to this group.  I'm quite interested to know, if these
internally used variables will be supported in a future standard.  I could
imagine that compiler writers provide standard classes that allow for
manipulation of internally used virtual tables, ctors and dtors.


Thanks for your reply,

Carsten

PS.: Today I'm really scared to use internals like __vptr because otherwise
     a complex project could be for nothing in a few years even though
     implementing in a highly portable programming language.

+------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Carsten Ditze                   | e-mail: cadi@uni-paderborn.de        |
| University of Paderborn         | or:     cadi@pbinfo.uucp             |
| FB 17 (Dept. of Math. & CS)     | or:     ...!uunet!unido!pbinfo!cadi  |
|                                 | voice:  +49 +5251 60-2074            |
| 33095 Paderborn, Germany        | fax:    +49 +5251 60-3427            |
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