The issue is implicitly mixed language programming between C and C++.
If one were only talking C++, then presumably, one would not care
about the C binding. You should require the use of the C++ binding
only.
To get compatibility...
The object MPI could be the name space for all MPI-related stuff.
MPI.whatever or MPI->whatever ... then, it could co-exist with
the C name space, and interactions between the class form, and the C
form would have to be done with global functions.
Rules for C/C++ interchange (just like between C and Fortran) must be
worked out.
The point of the language binding in C++, among other things, is to
promote "best practice" C++ programming. The virtual function naming
represents a respected idiom (cf, Coplien's book of 1991), on how
to build classes for reuse. If reuse is not an issue, then we should
make the minimalistic global bindings, and let people build there
own classes, and explicitly assume a C implementation, with a C++
interface.
-Tony
On Sun, 26 May 1996 Andrew.Lumsdaine@nd.edu wrote:
> Date: Sun, 26 May 1996 15:17:22 -0500 (EST)
> From: Andrew.Lumsdaine@nd.edu
> To: mpi-bind@mcs.anl.gov, mpi-core@mcs.anl.gov
> Subject: Re: Chapter 7
>
>
>
> In our last exciting episode James Cownie wrote:
>
> > Therefore I strongly recommend that we come up with new names for the
> > C++ objects.
>
> > I have no suggestion that I really like yet as to what names to give
> > these, something like MPIX_... might be OK ?
>
> Having different names for the C++ objects does seem to provide some
> important advantages. Are there any substantive disadvantages?
>
> What should the prefix for the C++ objects be? I have seen MPIX_ used
> elsewhere (with some unofficial extensions), but it seems as good as
> any other, e.g. MPIPP_, MPJ_.
>
> Sincerely,
> Andrew Lumsdaine
>
Anthony Skjellum, PhD, Asst. Professor of Computer Science;
Mississippi State University, Department of Computer Science & NSF ERC
Butler, Rm 300, PO Box 9637, Corner of Perry&Barr, Mississippi State,MS 39762
(601)325-8435 FAX: (601)325-8997; http://www.erc.msstate.edu/~tony; Quote:
"What a rain of ashes falls on him that sees the new and cannot leave the
old."-Shakespeare ; e-mail: tony@cs.msstate.edu; Try MPI!