[TriLUG] The C++ STL library

[Mike Mueller]

On Friday 05 December 2003 10:09, Tanner Lovelace wrote:
> Mike Mueller wrote:
> > On Thursday 04 December 2003 16:13, Tanner Lovelace wrote:
> >>The STL is somewhat unique in that you don't compile it.  Because of how
> >>templates work with most compilers, the STL is supplied entirely as
> >>header files.
> >
> > Templates have no compilable meaning until supplied with concrete data
> > types in a particular instance, so they must always be a header file. 
> > How could it be otherwise - especially if the datatype is user defined?
>
> That wasn't always the case.  Also, some compilers will let you
> define certain types to be precompiled.  I.e. if you know that
> your template will be often used with int's you could precompile that
> part and therefore save some compile time.  Also, I believe some
> compilers used to compile to an intermediate representation that
> was between source code and actual object code.  The advantage of
> this would also be faster compilation.

That makes sense.  My files that use STL have a noticeably slower 
compile time.  

I have a strong memory of the afternoon when the typical nature of templates 
became suddenly clear to me.  Prior to that event I was thinking of the STL 
containers as precompiled objects I would link.  The compiler error messages 
I was getting were maddeningly abtruse (as most STL related compiler error 
messages are).  I spent zero time writing my own templates before using STL 
in grand fashion, so I might be forgiven this temporary yet egregious void in 
my understanding of templates.

-- 
Mike Mueller
324881 (08/20/2003)
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