Optional API when building glibmm

When enable-deprecated-api is disabled, no deprecated classes or methods will be available in glibmm. For instance, the Date::set_time(GTime time) method overload will not be provided. The reference documentation contains a full list of deprecated glibmm API.

If deprecated glibmm API is available, the GLIBMM_DISABLE_DEPRECATED macro will not be defined.

When enable-api-exceptions is disabled, no exceptions will be used in the glibmm or gtkmm API, and no exceptions will be thrown. This allows applications to be built without support for exceptions. For intance, the g++ -fno-exceptions option may be used. Where a method would normally throw an exception, that method will instead take an additional std::auto_ptr<Glib::Error>& output parameter. If you are not using exceptions then you should check whether this parameter was set and handle any error appropriately.

If exceptions are not available, the GLIBMM_EXCEPTIONS_ENABLED macro will not be defined.

When enable-api-properties is disabled, no property accessors will be available in the glibmm or gtkmm API. For instance, the Gtk::Button::property_label() method will not be available. "getter" and "setter" methods, such as Gtk::Button::set_label() will still be available.

When you really need to set or get the property value directly, for instance when using the Gtk::CellRenderer API, you can use the alternative set_property() and get_property() methods. For instance:

#ifdef GLIBMM_PROPERTIES_ENABLED
  m_cellrenderer.property_editable() = true;
#else
  m_cellrenderer.set_property("editable", true);
#endif

If property accessors are not available, the GLIBMM_PROPERTIES_ENABLED macro will not be defined.

When enable-api-exceptions is disabled, no _vfunc virtual methods will be available in the glibmm or gtkmm API. These methods allow the developer to override some low-level behaviour of the underlying GTK+ objects, and they are therefore rarely used. For instance, Gtk::Frame::compute_child_allocation_vfunc() will not be available.

However, if you really need to override a _vfunc, for instance when implementing a custom Gtk::TreeModel, you may directly access the underlying GObject via the gobj() method.

If vfuncs are not available, the GLIBMM_VFUNCS_ENABLED macro will not be defined.

When enable-api-exceptions is disabled, no virtual signal handler methods will be available in the glibmm or gtkmm API. For instance, the Gtk::Button::on_clicked() method will not be provided. Instead you must connect a signal handler by using the signal_clicked() accessor. This option offers a considerable code size and per-object memory reduction.

Note, however, that the compiler will not complain if you attempt to override a default signal handler when they are not supported by gtkmm, because the compiler cannot know that you expected to override a virtual method.

If default signal handlers are not available, the GLIBMM_DEFAULT_SIGNAL_HANDLERS_ENABLED macro will not be defined.