Re: [boost] [range] broken PTS work-arounds

From: David Abrahams (dave_at_[hidden])
Date: 2007-11-19 09:51:41

on Sun Nov 18 2007, Beman Dawes <bdawes-AT-acm.org> wrote:

> Eric Niebler wrote:
>> Boost.range has a pile of work-arounds that made it "work" on old 
>> compilers that don't do partial template specialization. Nobody is 
>> testing those compilers anymore, so it's not surprising that those 
>> work-arounds are now broken. To wit, the following program:
>> 
>>    #include <boost/range/iterator_range.hpp>
>> 
>>    int main()
>>    {}
>> 
>> fails to compile on VC6. If nobody is interested in these old compilers, 
>> fine. But it seems odd to be shipping work-around code that doesn't 
>> work. Should all the PTS work-around code be removed? Or can it be 
>> patched up without too much effort? I don't care either way, I just 
>> don't want broken code to be shipped.
>
> I'm of the opinion developers should start to remove workaround code 
> that isn't being tested anymore, particularly if it makes the source 
> code harder to read and maintain.

I may start to test vc6 again soon, but I am not claiming that should
hinder Boost in its overall transition away from supporting it.  

-- 
Dave Abrahams
Boost Consulting
http://www.boost-consulting.com