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c++effective-c++

What is binary upgradability?

I'm reading Scott Meyers's Effective C++.

In Item 30:Understand the ins and outs of inline.He refers to the concept of binary upgradability.

Solution

  • By binary upgradability, Meyers (in Effective C++, Third Edition) refers to the concept of clients of a particular library only needing to re-link with newer versions of the library, instead of recompiling. If the library contains inline functions, binary upgradability may not be possible, causing clients to have to recompile.