[boost] Re: Stdint header?

From: Jens Maurer (jmaurer_at_[hidden])
Date: 1999-08-03 17:27:40

Beman Dawes wrote:
> *  A template approach where the user would write code like:
> 
>      int_t<32>::exact   // to obtain the 32-bit integer type
>      int_t<32>::max()   // to obtain the maximum value

We should probably use int_t<> only for getting the correct type
and use numeric_limits<> for getting max/min values.

The last line would read

     numeric_limits<int_t<32>::exact>::max()

instead.  If you need this more than once in application code,
you are encouraged to employ a typedef to save typing.

> While the template approach seems conceptually more elegant, I find
> the resulting user code unbearably ugly.

As Dietmar already pointed out, there could be applications
where specifying the width as a template parameter might be
natural.

Do we need the signed/unsigned distinction as a second "bool"
template parameter in the above definitions?

Jens Maurer.