CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c++visual-studiovisual-c++
Andrey Bushman
Andrey Bushman

Reputation: 12506

Why the standard of naming of C++ functions is not exist?

I write the plugins for AutoCAD. If I write the managed (i.e. .net) plugins, then I can use any Visual Studio version which can work with .NET Framework version which are used by AutoCAD (it is very convenient):

So, through Visual Studio 2013 I can write the .net plugins for AutoCAD 2009-2016.

But sometimes I need to write unmanaged plugins for AutoCAD, because its managed .net API covers unmanaged API (ObjectARX SDK) not complettely. ObjectARX is API for C++. At this case I can't use the same Visual Studio for each AutoCAD version. For example, I am to use VS 2005 for AutoCAD 2009 plugins writting. Therefore I have installed VS 2005-2013 on my virtual machine. It is very unconvenient in my opinion.

I know, this problem exists because the standard of C++ functions naming is not exist and each version of VS has own rules of the name generation for the functions which aren't marked by external "C".

But why this standard is not exist still? What the reason of it? I am sure this reason is exists. Such behaviour is unconvenient is not for me only (I asked other programmers about it). But they don't know why each new VS version has own rules of C++ function naming and why standard of nameing of C++ functions is not exist.

Thank you.

Upvotes: 2

Views: 114

Answers (1)

Jonathan Wakely
Jonathan Wakely

Reputation: 171303

A standard does exist, see https://mentorembedded.github.io/cxx-abi/abi.html#mangling

But not all compilers use it, because they have their own mangling conventions that they have used for many years, and they don't want to change them for various reasons.

In your case the differences between different versions of Visual Studio are not just name mangling, there are changes in the C++ runtime library and the standard library.

Upvotes: 11

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