[Gdal-dev] RFC 7: API Change for the VSIxxxL family of file functions

[Frank Warmerdam]

Eric Dönges wrote:
> Hi list,
> 
> 
> in response to my gripe about VSIOpenL claiming to return a FILE* when 
> it's not,
> Frank said I should submit an RFC, so here it is.
> 
> --- snip ---
> 
> RFC 7: API Change for the VSIxxxL family of file functions

Folks,

Eric has volunteered to make the changes which touch a lot of files.  I
think we would either need to grant Eric commiter access or else have
an existing commiter take responsibility for applying all Eric's changes.

There are some classes, like the Raw dataset classes that use FILE *
and a boolean to indicate that the FILE * should either be interpreted
as a "large file API" pointer (ie. VSIFOpenL()) or a small file api pointer
(ie. VSIFOpen()).  So there will be a few changes at the api and class
contents level (beyond just the type change).

Also, this change will require a code change in any application (or private
driver) code that uses the large file API.  That is, we are making a
backwards incompatible source level change in the C API (at the CPL level).
I am generally very nervous about doing this.

At the very least, I think backward compatibility issues need to be
addressed in the RFC.

Best regards,
-- 
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I set the clouds in motion - turn up   | Frank Warmerdam, warmerdam at pobox.com
light and sound - activate the windows | http://pobox.com/~warmerdam
and watch the world go round - Rush    | President OSGeo, http://osgeo.org