The following things are required for Libsigc++.

A good compiler with the following features
 - capable of handling numerous templates (>200)
 - proper template specialization
 - proper partial specialization

It works better with (but does not require)
 - template friend specialization 
 - namespaces
 - void returns

M4 to parse the header files if you wish to rebuild the headers from 
macro source.

==================================================

Platform Issues:

A number of platforms do not support global C++ objects
in shared libraries.  Although not required by this 
library, it may result in problems when building C++ 
libraries on those platforms.  The work arround is
to use statics in functions or pointers which must
be initialized. 

Platforms known to have this bug include
NetBSD, HP-UX 9, HP-UX 10, Solaris without patch.

==================================================

Compiler Issues:

 Cfront-based compilers: Fails
   -----
   Forget it, get a modern c++ compiler.


 GNU G++ 2.7.2: Fails
   -----
   Upgrade, new versions of GNU G++ are easily and freely available:
   GNU G++ 2.8.X or EGCS 1.1.2.  A port to this compiler is possible
   with effort.


 GNU G++ 2.8: Works (Marginal)
   namespaces: no
   partial specialization: yes 
   void returns: yes 
   -----
   Is known to work correctly, but some performance may be subpar.
   Recommend upgrading to egcs 1.1.


 GNU egcs 1.0: Works (Marginal)
   namespaces: no
   partial specialization: yes
   void returns: yes 
   -----
   Is known to work correctly, but some performance may be subpar.
   Recommend upgrading to egcs 1.1.


 GNU egcs 1.1: Works
   namespaces: yes
   partial specialization: yes
   void returns: yes 
   -----
   This is the development platform, so all functionality correct.

 HP C++: Fails
   -----
   This is a cfront compiler.  No where close.
   Get a modern c++ compiler.


 HP aC++ A.01.22: Works
   namespaces: yes
   partial specialization: yes
   void returns: yes (only most recent version)
   -----
   HP improved template support thus allowing compilation.
   Earlier compilers lacked support for void returns and proper
   templates.

   Missing <iostream> - use one below


 MipsPro 7.3 Compler on Irix: Works (Marginal)
   namespaces: yes
   partial specialization: yes
   void returns: no
   -----
   This compiler is barely within the range of usable compilers.
   Requires compiling a specialization for all types in library
   due to non-standard return behavior.  Should be usable.

   Requires a switch to get templates right.  
   Use 
     CC=cc CXX=CC CPPFLAGS="-ptused" ./configure

   Missing <iostream> - use one below

   
 SunPro C++ 4.1: Unknown
   namespaces: no
   partial specialization: no
   -----
   Unlikely considering lack of partial specialization.
   Need more info.


 SunPro C++ 5.0: Unknown
   namespaces: yes 
   partial specialization: yes
   -----
   Need more info.


 Visual C++ 5.0: Works (needs special distribution)
   namespaces: yes
   partial specialization: no
   void returns: no 
   -----
   Although not quite up to par, a port was completed and should
   be the basis for porting back to other earlier compilers.  
   VC++ lacks the ablity to use optional class arguments so
   marshallers must be explicitly declared.  (see doc/win32)

==================================================

Some compilers have not yet fully adopted the standard header
files.  (Usually because they lack some compiler feature
required for the standard header.)  For those compilers a
kludge is necessary to make the same code compile on both
standard and non-standard headers.  Add the following file
to the standard include path.

#ifndef IOSTREAM_KLUDGE
#define IOSTREAM_KLUDGE
#include <iostream.h>
namespace std { void iostream_kludge(); };
#endif