Re: [boost] Is floating_point_comparison.hpp general purpose tool?

Subject: Re: [boost] Is floating_point_comparison.hpp general purpose tool?
From: Mateusz Loskot (mateusz_at_[hidden])
Date: 2010-01-02 13:37:37

Gennadiy Rozental pisze:
> Mateusz Loskot <mateusz <at> loskot.net> writes:
>> I'm wondering why the floating-point algorithms [1]
>> implementation in floating_point_comparison.hpp lives in 
>> Boost UTF.
> 
> There are number of things which can be used in production code 
> which resides under boost/test hood. How does it prevents you from 
> using it? Is it only general confusion?

It does not prevents me at all or anyone else I suppose too.
I just found that for some users it is confusing and
some users do not recognize those tools as general purpose ones.
Also, there is a kind of psychological effect of yet another third party
dependency that may make some users to avoid those tools :-)

I say what I've experienced when I tried to suggest to use the FP
algorithms in Boost.Geometry (GGL). I saw Boost.Test FP algorithms
seem to be used in Boost.Graph and perhaps others, but it looks
like exceptional cases.

Simply, my understanding is that those algorithms state a well-known
robust implementation of floating-point comparison and as such
it is recommended to be used across Boost libraries so their clients as 
well. Thus, a bit of promotion seems beneficial :-)

>> Shouldn't it go to location that would suggest i

t's not only
>> usable for unit tests but it is a general purpose tool. 
> 
> I do not object too much, other than support assignment. Up till 
> now I was primarily concentrating on staff under boost/test. Or 
> you suggest move the support to the math library authors?

I think it some sort of math utilities would be a good place.

> Another point is that Boost.Test strives to limit dependencies on 
> other components. Placing these headers elsewhere might break 
> this policy.

Understood.

> Incidentally I've got a proposal for the session for boostcon to 
> cover production use of Boost.Test. If it's approved we can discuss 
> this subject as well.

I'll stay tuned.

Best regards,

-- 
Mateusz Loskot
http://mateusz.loskot.net