Re: Preliminary submission: format3 version 0.1

From: rogeeff (rogeeff_at_[hidden])
Date: 2002-01-31 12:56:33

--- In boost_at_y..., Karl Nelson <kenelson_at_e...> wrote:
> 
> Updated the submission to incorperate suggested improvements.
> 
> Changes
>   * supports positional only for those to lazy to
>     write "%1$s"
>       cout << format("I have %1% %2%.", num_items, item_type);
> 
>   * switched __ to _p_ to meet standard.
>   * moved internals to directory.
>   * changed headers to hpp.
>   * macrod group.
>   * switched group to take by value for "hex"
> 
> Unanswered questions:
> 
> Should it try to support all of printf output options or
> simply support that which iostreams allow and eat them for
> compatiblity?
> 
> Should non-iostream things like truncate be affectable
> by manipulators?
> 
> Does cout << format("%#010x" , complex<int>(20,21) ); mean
>   A) the user wants all integers output to be show base with
>      12 charactors zero padded.    0x00000016+0x00000017i
>   B) The total width should be 10 with showbase and zero padding?
>      0x16+0x17i
> ?
> 
> Should formating of int and float be in iostream instead 
> Ie.
>    os.float_format("##.####");
>    os.int_format("0x0######",hex);
> rather than the simple state machine?
> 
> 
> Suggestions not yet incorperated.
>   - Checking for too many parameters.
> 
>   - The following should silently swallow the "foo" argument:
> 
>     cout << format("%2$s", "foo", "bar");
> 
>     Right now, it invokes undefined behavior.
> 
>   - 'bad_format_string' should derive from 'std::exception'.
> 
> --Karl

Now I am really congused. How many format libraries do we need? Since 
I am not an expect in this area I can't make sound analisys which 
approach is better, but can't "format guys" come to some consensus 
and present one solution? Again I have nothing against the 
submittion, but I do not want to end up like Buridan's donkey.

Gennadiy.