[fpc-devel] The (near) future of strings

[Michael Van Canneyt]

On Mon, 7 Mar 2016, Marco van de Voort wrote:

> In our previous episode, Michael Van Canneyt said:
>> /usr/local/lib/fpc/4.0.0/x86_64-linux/dotted/XYZ
>>
>> But only one is referenced in fpc.cfg :
>>
>> #IFDEF NAMESPACED
>> /usr/local/lib/fpc/4.0.0/x86_64-linux/dotted/XYZ
>> #ELSE
>> /usr/local/lib/fpc/4.0.0/x86_64-linux/XYZ
>> #ENDIF
>>
>> where the -NS switch defines NAMESPACED
>
> That is correct if the namespace switches was introduced with XE2. It would
> fail for sources that used dotted notation and namespace, but don't assume
> it for the RTL, iow pre XE2.

This is a non-argument, since that wouldn't work today either.
We need to draw a line somewhere, no need to be holier than the pope.

Lets try to target e.g. D7 and XE2+

>
>>>>
>>>> Dotted, unicode
>>>> not dotted, unicode.
>>>>
>>>> which is clear nonsense.
>>>
>>> No, two rtls, both dotted, with namespace if needed. Which is the same as
>>> what you propose, just kept physically apart.
>>
>> If the above fails to satisfy you, no problem, all for it.
>> But I don't see the use of the dotted for old code.
>
> That was just for simplicity's case.
>
>> Lets not forget that Delphi tries to hide a lot of the complexity by
>> always writing a complete config file and using that file when compiling.
>
> I think a good first step would be building without storing the generated
> files in the same dir as the source.

A matter of configuration, I would think.

Michael.