Compatibility Mode

To provide a migration path from C++ 4 to C++ 5.0 standard mode, the C++ 5.0 compiler provides a compatibility mode. The compatibility mode is fully binary compatible and mostly source compatible with the C++ 4 compiler. (Compatible means upward compatible. Older source and binary code works with the new compiler, but you cannot depend on code intended for the new compiler working with an old compiler.) Compatibility mode is not binary compatible with standard mode. Compatibility mode is available for Intel and SPARC on Solaris 2.5.1, 2.6, and Solaris 7, but not for SPARC V9 (64-bit Solaris 7).

Reasons to use compatibility mode:

• You have C++ object libraries compiled with a 4.2 compiler and you can't recompile them in 5.0 standard mode. (For example, you don't have the source code.)

• You need to get a product out the door immediately, and your source code won't compile in 5.0 standard mode.