Alignment with Industry Practices

Oct 13, 2025 by talynt.org 96 views

Introduction

As we continue to improve and maintain OpenToonz, it is essential to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the C++ language. Currently, OpenToonz uses C++11 for compilation, which, although a significant improvement over earlier versions, is now somewhat outdated. In this proposal, we suggest upgrading the C++ standard to C++17, providing access to more modern C++ features and aligning with current industry practices.

Benefits of Upgrading to C++17

Upgrading to C++17 would bring numerous benefits to OpenToonz. Some of the key advantages include:

Improved Code Quality: C++17 introduces several features that can help improve code quality, such as structured bindings, if-constexpr, and fold expressions. These features can make code more readable, maintainable, and efficient.
Enhanced Performance: C++17 includes several features that can improve performance, such as parallel algorithms, structured bindings, and std::optional. These features can help optimize code and reduce execution time.
Better Error Handling: C++17 introduces several features that can improve error handling, such as std::optional, std::expected, and std::variant. These features can help make code more robust and resilient to errors.
Alignment with Industry Practices: Upgrading to C++17 would align OpenToonz with current industry practices, as most developers are likely using newer versions of C++ (greater than C++11).

Proposed Changes

To upgrade to C++17, we propose the following changes:

Upgrade C++ Standard: Upgrade the C++ standard from C++11 to C++17.
Update Minimum Required CMake Version: Update the minimum required CMake version from 2.8.11 to 3.1.

Testing and Validation

To ensure stability across different environments, we propose submitting a pull request as a WIP (Work in Progress) to test across all supported platforms, including macOS and Linux. This will allow us to:

Verify Compatibility: Verify that the upgraded code is compatible with all supported platforms.
Identify and Fix Issues: Identify and fix any issues that may arise during testing.
Improve Code Quality: Improve code quality by applying best practices and coding standards.

Conclusion

Upgrading to C++17 would bring numerous benefits to OpenToonz, including improved code quality, enhanced performance, better error handling, and alignment with industry practices. We propose upgrading the C++ standard from C++11 to C++17 and updating the minimum required CMake version from 2.8.11 to 3.1. To ensure stability across different environments, we propose submitting a pull request as a WIP (Work in Progress) to test across all supported platforms.

Implementation Plan

To implement the proposed changes, we suggest the following plan:

Upgrade C++ Standard: Upgrade the C++ standard from C++11 to C++17.
Update Minimum Required CMake Version: Update the minimum required CMake version from 2.8.11 to 3.1.
Test and Validate: Test and validate the upgraded code across all supported platforms, including macOS and Linux.
Submit Pull Request: Submit a pull request as a WIP (Work in Progress) to test across all supported platforms.
Review and Refine: Review and refine the code to ensure it meets the required standards and best practices.

Timeline

We propose implementing the proposed changes within the next 2-3 weeks. This will allow us to:

Upgrade C++ Standard: Upgrade the C++ standard from C++11 to C++17 within 1 week.
Update Minimum Required CMake Version: Update the minimum required CMake version from 2.8.11 to 3.1 within 1 week.
Test and Validate: Test and validate the upgraded code across all supported platforms, including macOS and Linux, within 1-2 weeks.
Submit Pull Request: Submit a pull request as a WIP (Work in Progress) to test across all supported platforms within 1 week.
Review and Refine: Review and refine the code to ensure it meets the required standards and best practices within 1-2 weeks.

Conclusion

Q: What are the benefits of upgrading to C++17?

A: Upgrading to C++17 would bring numerous benefits to OpenToonz, including improved code quality, enhanced performance, better error handling, and alignment with industry practices.

Q: What are the key features of C++17?

A: Some of the key features of C++17 include:

Structured bindings: Allow for more expressive and concise code.
If-constexpr: Enable the use of constexpr in if statements.
Fold expressions: Allow for more efficient and expressive code.
Parallel algorithms: Enable the use of parallelism in algorithms.
Structured bindings: Allow for more expressive and concise code.
std::optional: Enable the use of optional values.
std::expected: Enable the use of expected values.
std::variant: Enable the use of variant values.

Q: How will upgrading to C++17 affect the codebase?

A: Upgrading to C++17 will require changes to the codebase to take advantage of the new features and improvements. However, the changes will be minimal and will not affect the overall functionality of the code.

Q: What are the potential risks of upgrading to C++17?

A: The potential risks of upgrading to C++17 include:

Compatibility issues: The new features and improvements may not be compatible with older versions of C++.
Code breakage: The changes may break existing code or cause unexpected behavior.
Testing and validation: The upgraded code may require additional testing and validation to ensure it works as expected.

Q: How will the upgrade process be managed?

A: The upgrade process will be managed through a series of steps, including:

Upgrade C++ standard: Upgrade the C++ standard from C++11 to C++17.
Update minimum required CMake version: Update the minimum required CMake version from 2.8.11 to 3.1.
Test and validate: Test and validate the upgraded code across all supported platforms, including macOS and Linux.
Submit pull request: Submit a pull request as a WIP (Work in Progress) to test across all supported platforms.
Review and refine: Review and refine the code to ensure it meets the required standards and best practices.

Q: What is the timeline for the upgrade process?

A: The timeline for the upgrade process is as follows:

Upgrade C++ standard: Upgrade the C++ standard from C++11 to C++17 within 1 week.
Update minimum required CMake version: Update the minimum required CMake version from 2.8.11 to 3.1 within 1 week.
Test and validate: Test and validate the upgraded code across all supported platforms, including macOS and Linux, within 1-2 weeks.
Submit pull request: Submit a pull request as a WIP (Work in Progress) to test across all supported platforms within 1 week.
Review and refine: Review and refine the code to ensure it meets the required standards and best practices within 1-2 weeks.

Q: Who will be responsible for the upgrade process?

A: The upgrade process will be managed by the development team, with input and guidance from the project lead and other stakeholders.

Q: What are the next steps after the upgrade process is complete?

A: After the upgrade process is complete, the next steps will include:

Deployment: Deploy the upgraded code to production.
Monitoring: Monitor the upgraded code for any issues or problems.
Maintenance: Perform regular maintenance and updates to ensure the code remains stable and secure.

Q: What are the benefits of upgrading to C++17 for the users?

A: The benefits of upgrading to C++17 for the users include:

Improved performance: The upgraded code will be more efficient and perform better.
Better error handling: The upgraded code will handle errors more effectively and provide better feedback to the users.
Improved security: The upgraded code will be more secure and less vulnerable to attacks.
Enhanced features: The upgraded code will include new features and improvements that will enhance the user experience.