TREE_PUBLIC for module symbols?

[FX]

> My thinking is that one could encrypt the private part of the module
> file but, being open source, the key would be visible and even a
> slightly determined hacker could expose the private entities. For this
> reason, I do not think that it is worth trying.

I don’t think there is any guarantee, anywhere, that PRIVATE entities are perfectly hidden to the user of a module. They already are present in the object file generated, if not currently in the module file. So I don’t think we should worry about that.

Said another way: PRIVATE is a way for the compiler to help you enforce the separation between inside and outside the module. Just as private in C++ headers is (as far as I understand it) a way for the compiler to enforce the gentleman’s agreement that is the API. Nothing more. Anybody relying on PRIVATE to protect their darkest secrets is doing it wrong.

FX