Andreas Huber wrote:

Ok, but IIUC this undermines the original promise that a class implementing serialize or safe/load can be serialized to *any* archive, even future ones without changing its implementation. I see that I wouldn't need to change the serialization *code* but I'd need to add an include to the .cpp file, right?

Correct. But I don't see that as undermining the original promise. You will have to re-compile for future archives, but code will not have to be changed. The polymorphic archive (in progress) will lift even that restriction.

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9. The library registers all kinds of stuff with static instances. This precludes its use outside main().

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Hmmm - that would be news to me.

Your library cannot be used to save/load anything before main() is entered nor can it be used to save/load anything after main() has been left.

Correct. It never occurred to me to mention this. Robert Ramey