1
2====================
3Libc++ ABI stability
4====================
5
6Libc++ aims to preserve a stable ABI to avoid subtle bugs when code built under the old ABI
7is linked with code built under the new ABI. At the same time, libc++ wants to make
8ABI-breaking improvements and bugfixes in scenarios where the user doesn't mind ABI breaks.
9
10To support both cases, libc++ allows specifying an ABI version at
11build time. The version is defined with CMake option ``LIBCXX_ABI_VERSION``.
12Currently supported values are ``1`` (the stable default)
13and ``2`` (the unstable "next" version). At some point "ABI version 2" will be
14frozen and new ABI-breaking changes will start being applied to version ``3``;
15but this has not happened yet.
16
17To always use the most cutting-edge, most unstable ABI (which is currently ``2``
18but at some point will become ``3``), set the CMake option ``LIBCXX_ABI_UNSTABLE``.
19
20Internally, each ABI-changing feature is placed under its own C++ macro,
21``_LIBCPP_ABI_XXX``. These macros' definitions are controlled by the C++ macro
22``_LIBCPP_ABI_VERSION``, which is controlled by the ``LIBCXX_ABI_VERSION`` set
23at build time. Libc++ does not intend users to interact with these C++ macros
24directly.
25