name mangling

**Zeppe** · Nov 3 '08, 12:05 PM

Re: name mangling

Megalo wrote:

why not make "name mangling" of C++ standard so should be possible
to call
the classes and the functions of C++ from other C++ compiler
[and other language too]

because one of the reason in having different mangling conventions is
exactly to forbid inter-compilers linking. Mangling is not the only
element of heterogeneity between compilers, but other issues have to be
considered as structure paddings, virtual functions tables, calling
conventions, and other implementation aspects of the standard.

Best wishes,

Zeppe

**James Kanze** · Nov 3 '08, 12:05 PM

Re: name mangling

On Nov 3, 8:37 am, "Megalo" <m...@z.xwrot e:

why not make "name mangling" of C++ standard so should be
possible to call the classes and the functions of C++ from
other C++ compiler [and other language too]

Because name mangling is only the tip of the iceberg. Different
compilers intentionally try to have different mangling, so that
you get an error at link time, rather than undefined behavior at
runtime. The C++ committee can't really address the issue,
because any layout rules would have to depend on the hardware;
normally (i.e. in the case of C), it is the platform which
defines the API. To date, very few platforms have done this for
C++ (Intel Itanium, I think). For proprietary platforms (e.g.
Solaris, Windows), one can argue that the API is defined as
whatever the owner's own C++ compiler (Sun CC, VC++) does, but
this isn't always well documented.

--
James Kanze (GABI Software) email:james.kan ze@gmail.com
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**Pawel Dziepak** · Nov 3 '08, 12:15 PM

Re: name mangling

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Megalo wrote:

why not make "name mangling" of C++ standard so should be possible
to call
the classes and the functions of C++ from other C++ compiler
[and other language too]
thanks

C++ describes the programming language, not the way it is implemented.

For example, if somebody wants to create C++ runtime environment similar
to Java/.NET's ones, C++ standard compliance won't be broken. If
standard had described implementation details, it wouldn't have been
possible not to disobey some paragraphs.

Current situations, allow compilers creators to easily introduce new
ideas and mechanism that probably will make result code more efficient.

If you really want to call C++ function from other binaries you can use
things like:
extern "C" int function();

Pawel Dziepak
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**Megalo** · Nov 3 '08, 01:45 PM

Re: name mangling

"Pawel Dziepak" <pdziepak@quarn os.orgha scritto nel messaggio
news:gempq9$4m5 $1@registered.m otzarella.org.. .

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>
Megalo wrote:

>why not make "name mangling" of C++ standard so should be possible
>to call
>the classes and the functions of C++ from other C++ compiler
>[and other language too]
>thanks

>
C++ describes the programming language, not the way it is implemented.
>
For example, if somebody wants to create C++ runtime environment similar
to Java/.NET's ones, C++ standard compliance won't be broken. If
standard had described implementation details, it wouldn't have been
possible not to disobey some paragraphs.

the above is also true

Current situations, allow compilers creators to easily introduce new
ideas and mechanism that probably will make result code more efficient.
>
If you really want to call C++ function from other binaries you can use
things like:
extern "C" int function();

better
extern "C++" int function();

because extern "C" has already the meaning for "C function"

for me calling c++ function written in a assembly file from a
c++ program was ok

Pawel Dziepak

**tonytech08** · Nov 3 '08, 08:05 PM

Re: name mangling

On Nov 3, 1:37 am, "Megalo" <m...@z.xwrot e:

why not make "name mangling" of C++ standard so should be possible
to call
the classes and the functions of C++ from other C++ compiler
[and other language too]
thanks

Wasn't name mangling implemented because of unevolved linker
technology when C++ was being designed? Something about not being able
to associate type information with symbols in a linker? And doesn't
modern linker technology provide mechanisms that would make name
mangling obsolete? Perhaps not all compilers do mangling anymore??

**Pawel Dziepak** · Nov 3 '08, 08:15 PM

Re: name mangling

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tonytech08 wrote:

Wasn't name mangling implemented because of unevolved linker
technology when C++ was being designed? Something about not being able
to associate type information with symbols in a linker? And doesn't
modern linker technology provide mechanisms that would make name
mangling obsolete? Perhaps not all compilers do mangling anymore??

You can associate type information by adding type name to the function
name. That's how that information is (in general) stored. Technology
wasn't a problem. If you wanted not to change the symbol string *and*
store type information you would have to invent new executable and/or
relocatable files format (or improve existing ones), what is not a good
idea.

If all compilers used the same name mangling convention, there wouldn't
be such problem, despite the fact that name mangling would still be done.

Anyway, I don't think that it is a C++ standard thing to indirectly
create C++ compliant executable and/or relocatable file format.

Pawel Dziepak

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**James Kanze** · Nov 3 '08, 10:45 PM

Re: name mangling

On Nov 3, 2:41 pm, "Megalo" <m...@z.xwrot e:

"Pawel Dziepak" <pdzie...@quarn os.orgha scritto nel
messaggionews:g empq9$4m5$1@reg istered.motzare lla.org...

[...]

Current situations, allow compilers creators to easily
introduce new ideas and mechanism that probably will make
result code more efficient.

If you really want to call C++ function from other binaries
you can use things like:
extern "C" int function();

better
extern "C++" int function();

That's the default.

because extern "C" has already the meaning for "C function"

I think his point was that almost all other langauges have the
capability to call a C function, so if you make your C++
function look like a C function, they can call it.

--
James Kanze (GABI Software) email:james.kan ze@gmail.com
Conseils en informatique orientée objet/
Beratung in objektorientier ter Datenverarbeitu ng
9 place Sémard, 78210 St.-Cyr-l'École, France, +33 (0)1 30 23 00 34

**James Kanze** · Nov 3 '08, 10:45 PM

Re: name mangling

On Nov 3, 9:13 pm, Pawel Dziepak <pdzie...@quarn os.orgwrote:

tonytech08 wrote:

Wasn't name mangling implemented because of unevolved linker
technology when C++ was being designed? Something about not
being able to associate type information with symbols in a
linker? And doesn't modern linker technology provide
mechanisms that would make name mangling obsolete? Perhaps
not all compilers do mangling anymore??

You can associate type information by adding type name to the
function name. That's how that information is (in general)
stored. Technology wasn't a problem. If you wanted not to
change the symbol string *and* store type information you
would have to invent new executable and/or relocatable files
format (or improve existing ones), what is not a good idea.

Why not? I uses a linker as early as 1979 which supported
additional information about the function (other than just the
name). Mangling was introduced as a quick and dirty solution to
make things work with an existing linker (which was primitive
even by the standards back then). It turned out to work fairly
well, however, so no one has been motivated to develope other
solutions.

If all compilers used the same name mangling convention, there
wouldn't be such problem, despite the fact that name mangling
would still be done.

The problem isn't that names are mangled differently. The
problem is that classes are laid out differently.

--
James Kanze (GABI Software) email:james.kan ze@gmail.com
Conseils en informatique orientée objet/
Beratung in objektorientier ter Datenverarbeitu ng
9 place Sémard, 78210 St.-Cyr-l'École, France, +33 (0)1 30 23 00 34

**Pawel Dziepak** · Nov 3 '08, 10:55 PM

Re: name mangling

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James Kanze wrote:

Why not? I uses a linker as early as 1979 which supported
additional information about the function (other than just the
name). Mangling was introduced as a quick and dirty solution to
make things work with an existing linker (which was primitive
even by the standards back then). It turned out to work fairly
well, however, so no one has been motivated to develope other
solutions.

Currently, on the majority of unix systems the main format is ELF which
doesn't provide such possibilities to save type information in other way
than modifying symbol's name. Of course, changing/improving that format
would make many things easier, but breaking compliance is not affordable
for people and companies that creates systems. Problems that would
appear are just more serious that benefits you can take from introducing
such format.

Pawel Dziepak
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**Megalo** · Nov 4 '08, 09:05 AM

Re: name mangling

>"James Kanze" <james.kanze@gm ail.comha scritto nel messaggio

>news:6582fa2 d-0c67-4493-9207->7c157227e2a5@a 29g2000pra.goog legroups.com...
>On Nov 3, 2:41 pm, "Megalo" <m...@z.xwrot e:

>"Pawel Dziepak" <pdzie...@quarn os.orgha scritto nel
>messaggionews: gempq9$4m5$1@re gistered.motzar ella.org...

extern "C" int function();

>better
>extern "C++" int function();

>That's the default.

>because extern "C" has already the meaning for "C function"

>I think his point was that almost all other langauges have the
>capability to call a C function, so if you make your C++
>function look like a C function, they can call it.

so you think that a
C++ [class] function in a .dll file
could have a name usable of a C language?

i would say their name should be the argument size they have, its individual
size
the way of call that function (stdcall ccall etc)

for example
int f(int, int, int)
could have the name

stdcall$int@32$ f$int@32$int@32 $int@32

if i have a type X where sizeof(X)==64
int f(X, X, X)
stdcall$int@32$ f$X@64$X@64$X@6 4

it is the caller language that has to define type X, int32, in the
way it is like in the memory the C++ one

**Nick Keighley** · Nov 4 '08, 09:25 AM

Re: name mangling

On 3 Nov, 11:59, Zeppe <ze...@remove.a ll.this.long.co mment.yahoo.it>
wrote:

Megalo wrote:

why not make "name mangling" of C++ standard so should be possible
to call
the classes and the functions of C++ from other C++ compiler
[and other language too]

>
because one of the reason in having different mangling conventions is
exactly to forbid inter-compilers linking.

why would you want to forbid ICL? yes I read the rest of your post.
It didn't help.

Mangling is not the only
element of heterogeneity between compilers, but other issues have to be
considered as structure paddings, virtual functions tables, calling
conventions, and other implementation aspects of the standard.

--
Nick Keighley

**Zeppe** · Nov 4 '08, 09:45 AM

Re: name mangling

Nick Keighley wrote:

On 3 Nov, 11:59, Zeppe <ze...@remove.a ll.this.long.co mment.yahoo.it>
wrote:

>Megalo wrote:

>>why not make "name mangling" of C++ standard so should be possible
>>to call
>>the classes and the functions of C++ from other C++ compiler
>>[and other language too]

>because one of the reason in having different mangling conventions is
>exactly to forbid inter-compilers linking.

>
why would you want to forbid ICL? yes I read the rest of your post.
It didn't help.

Because boastful, explicit compilation failure is better than silent,
enigmatic, random run-time crash due to different conventions used by
different compilers that are not required to agree on some
implementation details whose standardisation would be limiting in
respect to the wideness of requirements satisfied by these compilers.

Best wishes,

Zeppe

**Megalo** · Nov 5 '08, 08:25 AM

Re: name mangling

"Megalo" <m@z.xha scritto nel messaggio
news:49100eae$0 $1075$4fafbaef@ reader2.news.ti n.it...

"James Kanze" <james.kanze@gm ail.comha scritto nel messaggio
>>news:6582fa 2d-0c67-4493-9207->7c157227e2a5@a 29g2000pra.goog legroups.com...
>>On Nov 3, 2:41 pm, "Megalo" <m...@z.xwrot e:

>>"Pawel Dziepak" <pdzie...@quarn os.orgha scritto nel
>>messaggionews :gempq9$4m5$1@r egistered.motza rella.org...

>

>extern "C" int function();

>

>>better
>>extern "C++" int function();

>

>>That's the default.

>

>>because extern "C" has already the meaning for "C function"

>

>>I think his point was that almost all other langauges have the
>>capability to call a C function, so if you make your C++
>>function look like a C function, they can call it.

>
so you think that a
C++ [class] function in a .dll file
could have a name usable of a C language?
>
i would say their name should be the argument size they have, its
individual
size
the way of call that function (stdcall ccall etc)
>
for example
int f(int, int, int)
could have the name
>
stdcall$int@32$ f$int@32$int@32 $int@32
>
if i have a type X where sizeof(X)==64
int f(X, X, X)
stdcall$int@32$ f$X@64$X@64$X@6 4

if X=={8bits, 8bits, 32bits}

and i have the function
int f(X**, X*, X)

the name could be
stdcall$int@32$ f$X@PP@8@8@32$X @P@8@8@32$X@N@8 @8@32

it is the caller language that has to define type X, int32, in the
way it is like in the memory the C++ one
>
>
>
>

**James Kanze** · Nov 5 '08, 12:45 PM

Re: name mangling

On Nov 4, 10:01 am, "Megalo" <m...@z.xwrot e:

"James Kanze" <james.ka...@gm ail.comha scritto nel messaggio
news:6582fa2d-0c67-4493-9207->7c157227e__BEG IN_MASK_n#9g02m G7!__...__END_M ASK_i?a63jfAD$z __@a29g2000pra. googlegroups.co m...
On Nov 3, 2:41 pm, "Megalo" <m...@z.xwrot e:

"Pawel Dziepak" <pdzie...@quarn os.orgha scritto nel
messaggionews:g empq9$4m5$1@reg istered.motzare lla.org...
extern "C" int function();
better
extern "C++" int function();

That's the default.

because extern "C" has already the meaning for "C function"

I think his point was that almost all other langauges have the
capability to call a C function, so if you make your C++
function look like a C function, they can call it.

so you think that a
C++ [class] function in a .dll file
could have a name usable of a C language?

Who cares about the name? Obviously, another language cannot
call a C++ member function unless it also knows how the C++
compiler implements classes, etc.

i would say their name should be the argument size they have,
its individual size the way of call that function (stdcall
ccall etc)

Why? Once you've said `extern "C"', you've told the compiler
all it needs to know.

--
James Kanze (GABI Software) email:james.kan ze@gmail.com
Conseils en informatique orientée objet/
Beratung in objektorientier ter Datenverarbeitu ng
9 place Sémard, 78210 St.-Cyr-l'École, France, +33 (0)1 30 23 00 34