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From: dl@G.OSWEGO.EDU (Doug Lea)
Newsgroups: gnu.g++.bug
Subject: Variable sized objects
Message-ID: <8911151142.AA06795@g.oswego.edu>
Date: 15 Nov 89 11:42:25 GMT
References: <8911102130.AA22272@sperm.ocean.washington.edu>
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You CAN'T make variable-sized objects if they are ever to be local
(auto or static). There's just no way to do it, since in C++, the
sizeof() any local must be knowable at compile time. You have to make
the variable-sized thing live on the freestore, and have the
`externally visible' class just a pointer to it (and also manually
manage its allocation/deallocation). Libg++ Strings and a few other
classes do it this way.  Write me if you'd like help with the details.

-Doug