[Feature Suggestion]: C++ module support

[rempas]

It would be nice if C++ modules were supported. I'd like to have a single file to create and export the symbols of the source/script. Both GCC and Clang have mature support for them so, it should not be a problem, right?

[eduardodoria]

This issue is quite complicated, and I haven't yet formed a decision on it, but “GCC and Clang support modules” is only the compiler/language part of the problem. Doriax editor, build generator, hot-reload pipeline, and exporter currently assume the traditional header/source model. Are you suggesting something similar to C++20 modules? Because today Doriax creates two files (header and source) and a C++ module could combine both into one module interface file. But that would bring significant changes.

Of course you can “one C++ script file”, a header-only .hpp script containing inline definitions would achieve that with C++17 and much broader toolchain compatibility.

If that's not it, can you describe it in more detail?

[rempas]

This issue is quite complicated, and I haven't yet formed a decision on it, but “GCC and Clang support modules” is only the compiler/language part of the problem. Doriax editor, build generator, hot-reload pipeline, and exporter currently assume the traditional header/source model. Are you suggesting something similar to C++20 modules? Because today Doriax creates two files (header and source) and a C++ module could combine both into one module interface file. But that would bring significant changes.

I didn't know Doriax supported hot reloading, that's amazing! Extremely useful and underacted feature! Especially for engines that use C++ (or any non-scripting, interpreted language)!

Of course you can “one C++ script file”, a header-only .hpp script containing inline definitions would achieve that with C++17 and much broader toolchain compatibility.

Your solution with just using the header file sounds awesome! But, are there any problems with it like slower compile/export times, runtime cost or other problems in the pipeline? If it just works with the problems, then it sounds awesome! Also, I suppose it cannot be used everywhere as shared code that needs to be shared between scripts should still use header files but also, is there documentation I can read about how you write shared code between scripts? Or do you write something to a script and then the header files are global to all scripts and they can just be included?

If that's not it, can you describe it in more detail?

Well, your solution seems great. Other than that, I heard that C++ modules can improve compile times and also can help with potential bugs with symbol name conflicts as you export and import things that you want and not have everything part of the same scope (tho, to be fair C++ namespaces also fix that problem, unless I miss something). So, they might be interesting to think about. But if you need to do so much work to make them work then it's probably not worth the hustle at that point in time.