Re: Thoughts on class "any"

From: William Kempf (sirwillard_at_[hidden])
Date: 2000-09-05 08:48:05

--- In boost_at_[hidden], Kevlin Henney <kevlin_at_c...> wrote:
> In message <B5D60D90.2E6%darylew_at_m...>, Daryle Walker
> <darylew_at_m...> writes
> >- The "type_info" name is already used (as a noun; a class name) 
in the std
> >namespace, so it looks confusing.
> >- The previous point is made worse by the fact that 
the "type_info" class is
> >the return type of the "type_info" method!
> 
> OTOH, it could be argued that as a result of this you know exactly 
what
> you're getting. That is why it is now the way it is. It used to be
> called "type" in previous versions.
> 
> >A much better name would be something like "get_type."  
> 
> Definitely not ;-) Although, with hindsight I could be persuaded to
> return to "type".

I like type() better myself, for whatever my opinion is worth.
 
><lament>why, oh, why can't we have partial specialization of function
> templates?!</lament>

I don't know, but it's trivial to work around this.  Have the 
template function be a simple wrapper around a functor, which can be 
partially specialized (on those compilers that allow it).

Bill Kempf