[fpc-devel] Status of Delphi-like packages (Class+RTTI aware DLL/SO)?

[Marco van de Voort]

In our previous episode, Willibald Krenn said:

> Please forgive my ignorance on this topic, but I'd like to know whether
> someone is working on adding Delphi-like packages to FPC. 

To my best knowledge: no.

> (At least for the windows/linux platforms.) Somehow the lack of this
> feature always has stopped me from using fpc/lazarus: For a change, I am
> thinking of contributing to the efforts unless - of course - the feature's
> already in the works :).

Some resources you might want to have a look at:

- Maybe not necessary if you know them already intimately, but I kept
   a bit of a brainstorm on packages here:
   http://wiki.freepascal.org/packages

- a bugreport about creating shared libraries using the makefiles:
  http://bugs.freepascal.org/view.php?id=12492 with 45 comments with
  a lot of detail.

> P.S.: Way back in time, I did some "investigation" on the Delphi (6) name
> mangling, see http://edn.embarcadero.com/article/27758 (german only).

I don't know if this is necessary for packages, BUT:
As far as I know FPC doesn't add the parameter name to the mangling, only
the type. Moreover, the type is bare, iow not qualified with unitname. I
don't know the status of the other details (like calling conventions).