[mpi-21] const C++ MPI handles (take 2)

[Erez Haba]

For example an implementation might choose to cache the error handler for MPI::COMM_WORD (in the MPI::Comm object) and call it itself on error so it can pass in the right object to the error handler.
Thus requiring MPI::COMM_WORLD not to be const.

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-mpi-21_at_[hidden] [mailto:owner-mpi-21_at_[hidden]] On Behalf Of Jeff Squyres
Sent: Friday, January 18, 2008 11:14 AM
To: mpi-21_at_[hidden]
Cc: mpi-21_at_[hidden]
Subject: [mpi-21] const C++ MPI handles (take 2)

On Jan 18, 2008, at 2:02 PM, Erez Haba wrote:

> Okay; about one issue at a time.

Changing mail subject to reflect the discussion...

> *For this sentence* it does not matter what's a common usage for C++
> global variables. Some MPI implementations would need to have non-
> const qualified global objects.

Why?  As I understand it, most (all?) MPI C++ implementations
currently only require some objects to be non-const because of the
standard-related issue that was already raised (Set_attr(),
Set_name(), Set_errhandler() methods not having const variants).  Is
there a reason that an implementation would *need* MPI handles to be
non-const?

Per my prior mail, I believe that the standard should specify that
some of the methods on these classes should have const and non-const
variants, and then it should be fine to require that the predefined
handles be const.

So the question is still open: what's common practice in the C++
community regarding const/non-const global variable specification?
This question will be moot if you can demonstrate that an
implementation would need non-const C++ MPI predefined handles.


--
Jeff Squyres
Cisco Systems