[OSGeo-Discuss] FOSS4G on Windows

[Mateusz Loskot]

Mateusz Loskot wrote:
> Paul Ramsey wrote:
>> It's not a matter of "like" or "not like" it's a matter of "hassle" 
>> or "no hassle". I work on OS/X and Linux, and compiling there is 
>> radically different than compiling on Windows. And while OS/X and 
>> Linux and Solaris have slight system API differences which require a
>>  little working around, Windows can have quite large differences.
> 
> (I'll stick to C/C++)
> 
> In generally and nowadays, it's really not that hard to keep software
> like OSGeo C/C++ stack portable across Unix and Windows.
> However, the problem may be that there are projects that like or need to
> support not only various systems but also generations of implementations
> of C and C++. What for? I have no idea, but they do so.
> 
> Here is my list of principles of portability in C/C++:
> 
> 0. Obey the standards, because they are not just dumb rules.
> 
> 1. Make a list of compilers that must be supported. Check differences.
> 
> 2. If possible, use GCC 4+ and Visual C++ 7.1+
> 
> 3. Using old compilers? If possible, use C89 but avoid C99.
> 
> 4. Prefer GCC 4.3.x and Visual C++ 8.0+, so you get C++0x support.
> C++0x "brings C++ more in line with the C99" - Wikipedia, so portability
> is much easier.
> 
> 5. Do not use POSIX.
> 
> 6. Never ever disable any warnings compiler throw. Fix them.
> 
> 7. Be pedantic. Compile in highest strict mode possible.
> 
> 8. If possible, do not use compiler-specific features.
> 
> 9. Do not make platform/architecture specific assumptions
> about memory addressing, memory layout, etc.
> 
> 10. Personal preferences are evil. Make decisions based on reasoning.
> 
> 11. (Re)Use good code that already exist. Boost C++ Libraries won't
> bite you!
> 
> 12. KIMS (Keep it modular, stupid) and let modules to loose coupling in
> in architecture, design as well as in development cycle (releases,
> inter-modular dependencies)

I've compiled a bit extended version of the above:

http://mateusz.loskot.net/2009/08/07/portability-poem/

Best regards,
-- 
Mateusz Loskot, http://mateusz.loskot.net