Hi all, Boost 1.35 triggers msvc 7.1 & 8.0 to export a local type named CRITICAL_SECTION declared in detail/lwm_win32_cs.hpp into the global namespace. This causes 'ambiguous identifier' compiler errors upon attempts to use (the global Windows type) CRITICAL_SECTION. Please refer to; [boost.pool] Workaround for a msvc 7.1 & 8.0 bug surfaced in the boost 1.35 release 4/8/2008 3:52 PM and; Changeset link: http://svn.boost.org/trac/boost/changeset/44480 Above fixes problems caused by usage of CRITICAL_SECTION in Boost itself namely in pool/detail/mutex.hpp. However usage of CRITICAL_SECTION outside Boost still gives problems. For example; #include <boost/archive/text_iarchive.hpp> typedef int CRITICAL_SECTION; CRITICAL_SECTION cs; or (real live case); #include <boost/archive/text_iarchive.hpp> #include <atlcore.h> Results in 'ambiguous identifier' compiler errors. I attached a patch of detail/lwm_win32_cs.hpp that fixes this. Note that; 1. a real solution to the problem would be to alter Boost such that the VS compiler bug is no longer triggered. 2. more local types, other then CRITICAL_SECTION, may have the same problem. Kind regards, Okko Willeboordse Index: lwm_win32_cs.hpp =================================================================== --- lwm_win32_cs.hpp (revision 45417) +++ lwm_win32_cs.hpp (working copy) @@ -17,8 +17,15 @@ // http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt) // +// 'CRITICAL_SECTION' type has been renamed here due to a MSVC 7.0, 7.1 & 8.0 +// bug causing this local type to be exported into the global namespace, later +// causing 'ambiguous identifier' compiler errors if anyone attempts to use the +// global Windows CRITICAL_SECTION type without using its fully qualified name +// '::CRITICAL_SECTION'. + #ifdef BOOST_USE_WINDOWS_H # include <windows.h> +typedef CRITICAL_SECTION CRITICAL_SECTION_RENAMED_TO_AVOID_VS_BUG; #endif namespace boost @@ -29,7 +36,7 @@ #ifndef BOOST_USE_WINDOWS_H -struct CRITICAL_SECTION +struct CRITICAL_SECTION_RENAMED_TO_AVOID_VS_BUG { struct critical_section_debug * DebugInfo; long LockCount; @@ -43,10 +50,10 @@ #endif }; -extern "C" __declspec(dllimport) void __stdcall InitializeCriticalSection(CRITICAL_SECTION *); -extern "C" __declspec(dllimport) void __stdcall EnterCriticalSection(CRITICAL_SECTION *); -extern "C" __declspec(dllimport) void __stdcall LeaveCriticalSection(CRITICAL_SECTION *); -extern "C" __declspec(dllimport) void __stdcall DeleteCriticalSection(CRITICAL_SECTION *); +extern "C" __declspec(dllimport) void __stdcall InitializeCriticalSection(CRITICAL_SECTION_RENAMED_TO_AVOID_VS_BUG *); +extern "C" __declspec(dllimport) void __stdcall EnterCriticalSection(CRITICAL_SECTION_RENAMED_TO_AVOID_VS_BUG *); +extern "C" __declspec(dllimport) void __stdcall LeaveCriticalSection(CRITICAL_SECTION_RENAMED_TO_AVOID_VS_BUG *); +extern "C" __declspec(dllimport) void __stdcall DeleteCriticalSection(CRITICAL_SECTION_RENAMED_TO_AVOID_VS_BUG *); #endif // #ifndef BOOST_USE_WINDOWS_H @@ -54,7 +61,7 @@ { private: - CRITICAL_SECTION cs_; + CRITICAL_SECTION_RENAMED_TO_AVOID_VS_BUG cs_; lightweight_mutex(lightweight_mutex const &); lightweight_mutex & operator=(lightweight_mutex const &);