DIP 45 - approval discussion

[Benjamin Thaut]

Am 10.11.2013 20:33, schrieb Walter Bright:
> On 11/10/2013 4:13 AM, Benjamin Thaut wrote:
>> Addition: It is necessary to export the module info. Because as soon
>> as you
>> import a module and use any part of it, the compiler will reference
>> the module
>> info.
>
> Actually, it isn't entirely clear to me why the moduleinfo needs to be
> exported.
>
> The moduleinfo is needed to run the static ctors/dtors, etc., but that
> is needed by the code internal to the dll that initializes the dll.

Well if the dll initializes all the modules, it has to initialize _all_ 
the modules because it can't know which are used and which are not. This 
is most certenly the way to go when loading a D dll with the LoadLibrary 
windows api function(s).

But when you link against a D dll using a genereated import library 
there would be the option to make it behave exactly like static 
libraries where only modules get initiliazed, which are actually used.

Also lets assume you do not export module infos, how does the compiler 
know that the module is inside a dll so that the module info is not 
referenced? That goes against the basic design of this DIP. The entire 
idea was to make static / shared liraries more similar and require less 
effort from the user. And not the other way around. If this is not 
wanted we can go right back to the C/C++ way of defining both dllexport 
and dllimport.

Kind Regards
Benjamin Thaut