On 10/14/2010 01:53 AM, Anthony Williams wrote:
"vicente.botet"<vicente.botet@wanadoo.fr> writes:
As there are quite a lot of files that includes some parts of <windows.h> some of them include the same declarations. I was wondering if we can not add a boost/detail/windows.hpp> file that will declare whatever is needed in Boost. Is this a good or a bad idea?
I think that's a bad idea, as lots of libraries will need to touch it, and it will end up getting big and bloated like<windows.h>. A boost/details/windows directory with a lot of special-purpose files would be better.
Keep in mind <windows.h> has been aggressively accumulating APIs for over twenty years now. Except things with the best potential for modular interface design were systematically selected out to be implemented as COM interfaces. It's not big and bloated because stuff is added as a general-purpose project like Boost actually needs it and uses it. It's that way because Windows projects got into the habit of dumping the entire universe into a single precompiled header. If it gets too big you can split it into separate files later. I wouldn't worry about it unless it starts to become a problem. - Marsh