Review results: Special functions, Quaternions, Octonions

From: Jens Maurer (Jens.Maurer_at_[hidden])
Date: 2001-05-29 16:59:22

The review period for Hubert Holin's Special functions, Quaternions,
Octonions library is over.

The library has been accepted into boost, subject to the review
comments.  Here are the most prominent ones:

 - rewrite operator>> (Gary Powell)
(It's templated on charT and traits, so it's unlikely you'll run
into ODR trouble when separating it into subroutines.)

 - Avoid check for self-assignment in operator=() (Gary Powell)

 - We should postpone the namespace issue until there has been more
discussion and clear guidelines.   For the moment, boost::octonion<>
etc. appears to be acceptable, but maybe not perfect.

 - Use <> for #include paths for internal boost consistency, even
if proven wrong later.

 - Make converting functions "explicit" (Gary Powell). Making them
non-explicit later when more experience is available will not cause
much harm with then-existing code, but the other way round will
turn legal code illegal.  Take note of the decision in the docs.

 - (Here's an additional piece of information for the template-template
overloads:  Template-template parameters are only matched by
templates with the exact number of parameters.  Unlike defaulted
function parameters, defaulted template parameters do count.
Therefore, a type of form   X<T, Traits = default_traits> will not
match the template-template overload for  TT<typename>.  Also, the
EDG front-end started to support template-template parameters only
very recently, so I expect regression failures on Alpha and IRIX.)

 - I'll have a look at the <iosfwd> issue during the final
integration.

 - We must solve the subdirectory and sub-namespace issue sooner
or later, but not necessarily during this review.  (I'm happy
with boost/math/. "special_functions" has a well-defined meaning
therein, I believe.)  While moving around things later is quite a
pain, I feel that these issues should not prevent the integration
of the current library.

However, as usual, the final decision is up to the author.

Thanks to all reviewers.

Hubert, I'll be glad to integrate the source into the CVS when
you send me the final version by private e-mail.

I would like to remind everyone that replacing uploaded files
under active review is discouraged, because it adds
difficulties to the review process in that it requires
tracking a moving target.

Jens Maurer
Review Manager Special functions, Quaternions, Octonions