PDO_Firebird: use C++?

> So what do you think? Should we use C++ to access the new APIs, or > stick with C (and include the required declarations in PDO_Firebird)? >

> Hi all, > > a week ago Denis Simonov submitted a PR[1] regarding formatting of the > new time zone types of Firebird 4.0 (which appears sensible per se). > This requires to access new Firebird APIs which are written in C++ (the > old Interbase APIs are still provided as C code). Now the Firebird > developers have written a tool for cross language support called > CLOOP[2] which allows to access the APIs written in C++ directly from C. > However, they do not provide these C APIs officially, so Denis provided > the minimal required C API for inclusion into the PDO_Firebird extension[3]. > > In my opinion, this a somewhat fragile approach (especially since > CLOOP's C generator apparently hasn't been tested for a rather long > time[4]) and would personally rather use C++ to access the new APIs. > This would obviously require a C++ compiler to build PDO_Firebird (so > far a C compiler is sufficient), unless the C++ code (and the respective > functionality) would be optional. > > Another drawback would affect the Windows builds; so far these just > could use the Firebird kits provided by the Firebird developers (which > contain headers and pre-built libraries), but these don't contain any > C++ libraries, so the libraries would need to be built and hosted by > winlibs[5] (at least for the time being). > > I assume, however, that (Linux) distros already provide pre-built C++ > libraries since the new Firebird OO API is available as of Firebird 3.0. > Maybe someone can confirm that. > > So what do you think? Should we use C++ to access the new APIs, or > stick with C (and include the required declarations in PDO_Firebird)? > > [1] https://github.com/php/php-src/pull/15230 > > [2] > https://www.firebirdnews.org/new-firebird-interface-cloop-cross-language-object-oriented-programming/ > > [3] > https://github.com/php/php-src/pull/15230/files#diff-e0657e20b6fc2c130f504c18ebeeac828847f17f1f8f7c3559b8fe8b2bc19928 > > [4] https://github.com/FirebirdSQL/firebird/issues/8197 > > [5] https://github.com/winlibs > > > Cheers, > Christoph

> Hi all, > > a week ago Denis Simonov submitted a PR[1] regarding formatting of the > new time zone types of Firebird 4.0 (which appears sensible per se). > This requires to access new Firebird APIs which are written in C++ (the > old Interbase APIs are still provided as C code). Now the Firebird > developers have written a tool for cross language support called > CLOOP[2] which allows to access the APIs written in C++ directly from C. > However, they do not provide these C APIs officially, so Denis provided > the minimal required C API for inclusion into the PDO_Firebird > extension[3]. > > In my opinion, this a somewhat fragile approach (especially since > CLOOP's C generator apparently hasn't been tested for a rather long > time[4]) and would personally rather use C++ to access the new APIs. > This would obviously require a C++ compiler to build PDO_Firebird (so > far a C compiler is sufficient), unless the C++ code (and the respective > functionality) would be optional. > > Another drawback would affect the Windows builds; so far these just > could use the Firebird kits provided by the Firebird developers (which > contain headers and pre-built libraries), but these don't contain any > C++ libraries, so the libraries would need to be built and hosted by > winlibs[5] (at least for the time being). > > I *assume*, however, that (Linux) distros already provide pre-built C++ > libraries since the new Firebird OO API is available as of Firebird 3.0. > Maybe someone can confirm that. > > So what do you think? Should we use C++ to access the new APIs, or > stick with C (and include the required declarations in PDO_Firebird)? > > [1] <https://github.com/php/php-src/pull/15230> > [2] > < > https://www.firebirdnews.org/new-firebird-interface-cloop-cross-language-object-oriented-programming/ > > > [3] > < > https://github.com/php/php-src/pull/15230/files#diff-e0657e20b6fc2c130f504c18ebeeac828847f17f1f8f7c3559b8fe8b2bc19928 > > > [4] <https://github.com/FirebirdSQL/firebird/issues/8197> > [5] <https://github.com/winlibs> > > Cheers, > Christoph >

> a week ago Denis Simonov submitted a PR[1] regarding formatting of the > new time zone types of Firebird 4.0 (which appears sensible per se). > This requires to access new Firebird APIs which are written in C++ (the > old Interbase APIs are still provided as C code). Now the Firebird > developers have written a tool for cross language support called > CLOOP[2] which allows to access the APIs written in C++ directly from C. > However, they do not provide these C APIs officially, so Denis provided > the minimal required C API for inclusion into the PDO_Firebird extension[3]. > > In my opinion, this a somewhat fragile approach (especially since > CLOOP's C generator apparently hasn't been tested for a rather long > time[4]) and would personally rather use C++ to access the new APIs. > This would obviously require a C++ compiler to build PDO_Firebird (so > far a C compiler is sufficient), unless the C++ code (and the respective > functionality) would be optional. > > Another drawback would affect the Windows builds; so far these just > could use the Firebird kits provided by the Firebird developers (which > contain headers and pre-built libraries), but these don't contain any > C++ libraries, so the libraries would need to be built and hosted by > winlibs[5] (at least for the time being). > > I *assume*, however, that (Linux) distros already provide pre-built C++ > libraries since the new Firebird OO API is available as of Firebird 3.0. > Maybe someone can confirm that. > > So what do you think? Should we use C++ to access the new APIs, or > stick with C (and include the required declarations in PDO_Firebird)? > > [1] <https://github.com/php/php-src/pull/15230> > [2] > <https://www.firebirdnews.org/new-firebird-interface-cloop-cross-language-object-oriented-programming/> > [3] > <https://github.com/php/php-src/pull/15230/files#diff-e0657e20b6fc2c130f504c18ebeeac828847f17f1f8f7c3559b8fe8b2bc19928> > [4] <https://github.com/FirebirdSQL/firebird/issues/8197> > [5] <https://github.com/winlibs>