[boost] Boost.Function comparison, again

Subject: [boost] Boost.Function comparison, again
From: David Abrahams (dave_at_[hidden])
Date: 2009-07-23 09:11:23

The docs say:

  When comparing against an instance of reference_wrapper, the address
  of the object in the reference_wrapper is compared against the address
  of the object stored by the function object wrapper:

  a_stateful_object so1, so2;
  f = boost::ref(so1);
  assert(f == boost::ref(so1));
  assert(f == so1); // Only if a_stateful_object is EqualityComparable
  assert(f != boost::ref(so2));

I take it from the above that 

  so1 == so2                implies   f == so2
  function_equal(so1,so2)   implies   f == so2

?  Neither one of those is made entirely clear from the above.

It appears that the library assumes a function object may be _stored_ by ref

  f = boost::ref(so1);

for efficiency reasons, but will only be _compared_ by ref

  assert(f == boost::ref(so1));

because so1 is stateful.  What is the rationale for this asymmetry?  Is
there a role for the is_stateless type trait in smoothing over these
bumps?  Seems to me that if you know the type is stateless, comparing
addresses isn't very useful.

TIA,

-- 
Dave Abrahams
BoostPro Computing
http://www.boostpro.com