[Boost.Serialization] Derived class de-serialization problem due to MSVC linker

Hi, I am trying to serialize a large set of objects in our library. I am using the Serialization library from version 1.33 with MSVC 2003. When I had all serialization code in the header files of the classes, linking took too much time and memory. Therefore I am now using explicit template instantiation of the serialize function (see below) in conjunction with precompiled headers for the Boost.Serialization. The problem is this: When I de-serialize a DerivedObject to a BaseObject-pointer (so that only the header of the BaseObject class is included) the linker seems to throw away the information from the explicit template instantiation of the DerivedObject in some cases. When I combine the explicit template instantiation and definition of serialize into one object for BaseObject and all DerivedObject, the linker keeps the registration information of the derived class (because MSVC uses object-level linking). Due to the coding standards in our institution this method was disapproved. Is there a way to make the linker keep the registration information of DerivedObject? Best regards, Markus Himmerich .h-File: ---------------------------------------- namespace boost{ namespace serialization { class access; } } class BaseObject { public: ... private: friend class boost::serialization::access; template<class Archive> void serialize(Archive & ar, const unsigned int /*version*/); } .cpp-File: ---------------------------------- #include <boost/archive/xml_iarchive.hpp> #include <boost/archive/xml_oarchive.hpp> #include <boost/serialization/export.hpp> #include <boost/serialization/utility.hpp> #include <boost/serialization/shared_ptr.hpp> #include <boost/serialization/vector.hpp> #include <boost/serialization/map.hpp> #include <boost/serialization/set.hpp> #include <boost/serialization/string.hpp> //Use precompiled headers for these headers template<class Archive> void BaseObject::serialize(Archive & ar, const unsigned int /*version*/) { ar & BOOST_SERIALIZATION_NVP(id_); ar & BOOST_SERIALIZATION_NVP(data1_); } template void a::serialize<>(boost::archive::xml_iarchive & ar, const unsigned int /*version*/); template void a::serialize<>(boost::archive::xml_oarchive & ar, const unsigned int /*version*/); BOOST_CLASS_EXPORT(a) BOOST_SERIALIZATION_SHARED_PTR(a) Analogous files for DerivedObject. </PRE> <meta content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1" <font face="Arial"><font color="#BABABA"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt">Diese E-Mail und eventuell beigefügte Anhänge enthalten vertrauliche Informationen, die rechtlich besonders geschützt sein können, zum Beispiel durch das Bankgeheimnis. Diese Informationen sind ausschließlich für die als Adressaten genannten Personen bestimmt. Wenn Sie nicht der angeschriebene Empfänger sind oder diese E-Mail durch einen Übertragungsfehler erhalten haben, informieren Sie uns bitte sofort per E-Mail, Telefon oder Telefax und löschen danach die vorliegende E-Mail. Das unbefugte Kopieren dieser E-Mail, ihrer eventuell beigefügten Anhänge sowie die unbefugte Weitergabe der enthaltenen Informationen an Dritte sind nicht gestattet. Wir danken für Ihre Hilfe.<br> <font face="Arial"><font color="#BABABA"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt"><br> <font face="Arial"><font color="#BABABA"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt">This e-mail message together with its attachments, if any, is confidential and may contain information subject to legal privilege, e.g. banking secrecy. The information contained in this e-mail or its attachments is intended solely for the persons named as addressees. If you are not the intended recipient or have received this e-mail in error, please advise us immediately by e-mail, telephone or fax and delete this message. Any unauthorised copying of this message or unauthorised distribution of the information contained herein is prohibited. Thank you for your co-operation. <PRE>

[Boost.Serialization] Derived class de-serialization problem due to MSVC linkerThe problem is this: When I de-serialize a DerivedObject to a BaseObject-pointer (so that only the header of the BaseObject class is included) the linker seems to throw away the information from the explicit template instantiation of the DerivedObject in some cases. When I combine the explicit template instantiation and definition of serialize into one object for BaseObject and all DerivedObject, the linker keeps the registration information of the derived class (because MSVC uses object-level linking). Due to the coding standards in our institution this method was disapproved. Is there a way to make the linker keep the registration information of DerivedObject? *** Generally, the linker will discard any code not explicitly referred to. This is addressed by EXPORT which is non-standard and compiler dependent and "too clever". So it's not 100% relieable in all cases. My personal recomendation would be to create a small module which just refers to all your derived classes and link that in. But that would likely violate your organizations coding standards. I don't see a way to do this without changing you're organizations coding standards. Robert Ramey
participants (2)
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Markus.Himmerich@oppenheim.de
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Robert Ramey