Re: [boost] Re: Comments on the thread library

From: Greg Colvin (gcolvin_at_[hidden])
Date: 2001-04-02 14:43:33

From: Beman Dawes <bdawes_at_[hidden]>
> The suggestions to add features (via generative programming or otherwise) 
> make me very nervous.
> 
> Multi-threading is notoriously difficult to get right.  The experts as far 
> back as Dijkstra, Hoare, and Brinch Hansen have argued time and time again 
> for minimalist approaches to concurrent programming.
> 
> Keep examples like std::basic_string<> in mind.  It tried to make all users 
> happy, even though needs and wants varied a great deal.  The result was 
> general unhappiness.
> 
> Keep Boost.Threads simple.  Don't try to solve every multi-threading 
> problem the first release.  It just isn't the right library to use as an 
> experiment in new techniques like generative programming.  Or to load up 
> with features for everyone.  Just my opinion, of course.

I hate to argue against K.I.S.S., and I don't have an opinion
on whether or not a mutex generator is the way to go, but it
does seem that we have already decided against the Hoare/Hansen
approach of a minimal language extension in favor of a set of
lower-level primitives.

I'll also point out that one can first develop a set of classes
and later devise a generator for that set, so we may not need to
choose right away.