Re: [boost] Math constants for naive and gurus? - which constants do you want?

From: Greg Colvin (gcolvin_at_[hidden])
Date: 2001-10-24 12:13:42

From: Beman Dawes <bdawes_at_[hidden]>
> At 05:14 PM 10/23/01 -0600, Greg Colvin wrote:
> 
>  >The only problems I see with the template function approach is
>  >the extra typing:
>  >
>  >    v = pi
>  >
>  >is certainly easier than
>  >
>  >    v = constant<pi_tag,double>
>  >
>  >but it is not amenable to more precise implementations.
>  >
>  >How about a compromise:
>  >
>  >    v = pi<double>()
>  >
>  >and so on for all the other constants?  I think this can be
>  >made to work with even the most brain-dead compilers.
> 
> Please do not make any design decisions for math constants based on 
> brain-dead compilers.

OK.  But I still prefer pi<double> to constant<pi_tag,double>, so I
was compromising on the interface.

> I'm writing this from the C++ committee meeting.  Compiler vendor after 
> compiler vendor is stating publicly that the Boost libraries have become so 
> important that they are being added to the vendor's regression tests. 
> Customers are demanding that 100% of the tests pass. The critical mass 
> demand we all dreamed about actually seems to be happening.

Excellent.

> The exact form of the constants will be very, very important in user 
> decisions to use the library, and committee decisions to add the library to 
> the C++ standard.  Please don't make compromises for broken compilers.
> 
> --Beman
> 
> 
> Info: http://www.boost.org  Unsubscribe: <mailto:boost-unsubscribe_at_[hidden]> 
> 
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ 
> 
> 
>