Re: [boost] [challenge: Dynamic Overloads] [was Dynamic Overloads and was Re: Runtime Dynamic Dispatch Library (0.2)]

From: Phil Endecott (spam_from_boost_dev_at_[hidden])
Date: 2007-10-06 13:13:10

I haven't been following this thread, but my radar spotted this:

> Now operator<<() is used instead of c'tors, this has three advantages:

Hmmm, someone else is tempted to invent yet another use for operator<< ?

If we keep doing this, we'll end up with entire functions where 
everything is done using << and there are no alphabetic identifiers at 
all!  In this case, compare

     f << &foo2 << foo4 << foo3 << &foo1 << foo5;

with

     f.add_overload(&foo2);
     f.add_overload(foo4);
     f.add_overload(foo3);
     f.add_overload(&foo1);
     f.add_overload(foo5);

The first version involves less typing.  But, to someone who did not 
write the code, wouldn't it be reasonable to look at it and think that 
f is a file and that the various foos are being written to it?

The second version involves more typing.  But it tells you exactly what 
it's doing.  Surely it is better.

Regards,

Phil.