Re: [boost] Quick q on simple type manipulation helpers

From: Andrei Alexandrescu (andrewalex_at_[hidden])
Date: 2001-11-20 16:21:54

[snip]
> 4) integrate with boost::mpl :)
> 5) anything else put either into boost::loki namespace, a domain-specific
> namespace (e.g. boost::memory for small-object allocator?), or just simple
> 'boost'.
>
> > I am looking forward to hear about better solutions.
>
> Take a look at the mpl approach.

I see the emoticon in there, but indeed you brought an excellent point which
I'd like to discuss further.

Simplicity is a very important in designing a library. It was a crucial
aspect in designing Loki - I tried to design a blanket as broad and as thick
as possible without suffocating its user. From the feedback gotten so far,
it seems like I've gone overboard only with the hierarchy generators. (They
still have bugs that nobody found :oD).

I've been looking over mtl for only ten minutes. I reckon this might sound
terribly snooty, but if I had trouble groking it I suspect other people
would have trouble, too. And I did have trouble; it is quite a feat to
implement iteration semantics over the template engine, but because of the
way that template engine works, I find the mechanics of doing and using that
overly complex. Even simplest algos such as 'length' or 'empty' look quite
arcane to someone who hasn't already absorbed a lot of the architecture. By
comparison, the corresponding recursive algos are much terser and easier to
understand.

Andrei