FAQ 36.01 What are the main issues when mixing C and C code in the same application?

FAQ 36.01 What are the main issues when mixing C and C++ code in the same application?

The main issues are

• The C++ compiler must be used to compile main(). This allows the C++ compiler to deal with static initialization and other magical things that main() has to do.

• The C++ compiler must be used to direct the linking process. This allows the C++ compilers to deal with templates and also to link in the C++ libraries.

• The C++ and C compilers probably need to come from the same vendor and have compatible versions. This allows them to use compatible calling conventions in the binary code they generate, as well as compatible naming strategies.

• The interface between the two languages should be kept reasonably small. For example, it is unwise to enable all C++ routines in the entire application to be callable from C, although the reverse is possible: it is not that hard to make C routines callable by C++.

• Read the rest of this chapter for more details.