Re: [boost] Link dependencies

Subject: Re: [boost] Link dependencies
From: Stephen Kelly (hello_at_[hidden])
Date: 2014-12-06 08:46:46

Edward Diener wrote:

> I believe that Boost should pursue the goal of allowing individual
> libraries to be downloaded and used without having to download the
> complete Boost structure.

That would be nice :).

> If enough people agree on a particular
> solution it can be done by those people. 

That's not how Boost works. Boost libraries and decisions related to them 
are owned by the maintainer of the library. There is no 'enough people' who 
could decide to split the parts of Boost.Serialization which depend on 
Boost.Spirit away from the rest of the library, for example. Robert doesn't 
want that, so it won't happen. Decisions are not made as a community. That's 
how Boost works. 'Enough people' is not a factor. Am I wrong?

> 2) Allowing individual libraries to be used, rather than current
> monolithic Boost, is being done for the end-user community. We need to
> make the goal that the way of doing this is as simple for the end-user
> as possible

That would be nice :).

I don't see how it is possible without changing the Boost model of 'each 
individual maintainer decides, always'.

If such rules were adopted you'd have to make it clear what the implications 
of having such a goal are.

> They are
> simply programmers wanting to use individual Boost libraries for their
> programming efforts. 

Are you sure users want to use individual libraries? Do you see calls for 
that from users?

> After which people who are interested can discuss the proposals and try
> to see if there is one that meets a fairly large consensus. If that is
> the case, then those who are part of that consensus can work together to
> make it happen.

Are you suggesting the result of such consensus would be forced on Boost 
maintainers independent of what they may want? That would seem to be a break 
from the current model of how Boost works.

Thanks,

Steve.