[Opencxx-users] Implementing a iContract like tool for C++ with OpenC++

[Aitor Garay-R. <ter...@gm...>]

Hi there!,

	Lately I have been thinking on how it could be possible to implement an
iContract like tool for C++.  iContract is a Design by Contract tool for
Java.  The basic idea is to parse the C++ source code looking for special
comment blocks that specify the precondition/postcondition/invariants of the
class.  Then the input source code is extended with code that check the
contracts at runtime.
	There are a few options for implementing such a DbC tool for C++.  I have
come to OpenC++ and believe that is the most promising way to implement it
"easily".  Other alternatives I'm considering are implementing a standalone
application that uses some freely available grammar or may be extending the
AspectC compiler.
	I have no experience at all with OpenC++ and I have a few doubts.

	- do OpenC++ meta-programs have access to the source code comments?
	- are the meta-programs able to transverse the inheritance hierarchy of a
given class?
	- how well does OpenC++ handle macros?  And namespaces?
	- is it possible to introduce new methods in the generated classes?  Is it
possible to do arbitrary transformations like nesting the body of a method
inside some try/catch blocks?

	Sorry for the long list of questions, it would be very helpful if I can get
a rough idea of OpenC++ possibilities before getting deep into it.  Has
someone hear about some similar effort of implementing DbC for C++?  Any
ideas?

	Thanks!,

	/AITOR