[Geany-Devel] Plugin API design question/change proposal

[Matthew Brush]

On 14-05-21 04:24 AM, Nick Treleaven wrote:
> On 20/05/2014 10:29, Matthew Brush wrote:
>> Does anyone know why the plugin API was designed to use a bunch of
>> structures containing function pointers, hidden behind macros in
>> geanyfunctions.h? I found the commit where this stuff was added
>> initially (ie. plugin ABI 2-3) but it doesn't mention why it was done
>> like this and I tried to search the mailing list archives but Gmane
>> won't let me search and the other mailing list archive doesn't go back
>> that far.
>>
>> Somebody mentioned it might be because Windows doesn't export symbols by
>> default, but it still doesn't explain why this way chosen over
>> explicitly exporting the symbols using
>> __declspec(dllexport)/G_MODULE_EXPORT which, IIUC, does just this.
>
> The idea was to avoid exporting private symbols, and also to avoid
> having to build the binary with any dynamic link flags. Since the Glade
> 3 change, the binary has dynamic link flags anyway, so the reason for
> this is gone.
>

Thanks for the info!

> Note: It's a bit annoying that all binary symbols are exported (on some
> platforms), ideally only symbols marked with some kind of export
> attribute would be.
>

Yeah, this might not be too tough, using a symbol listing file or 
`-fvisibility=hidden` or such.

Cheers,
Matthew Brush