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

From: Aleksey Gurtovoy (alexy_at_[hidden])
Date: 2001-11-20 16:29:48

Andrei Alexandrescu wrote:
> > >    It would be nice to add "algorithms" similar to
> > > std::list's function members ( like push_back et all).
> >
> > boost::mpl already has those.
> 
> There is one issue, though. You can't implement the exact 
> same semantics for typelists because they have value 
> semantics (can't be mutated). 

And the algorithms don't need to have the exact semantics. But whether the
sequences are mutable or not, most of the STL principles still apply here. 

> A functional interface is much 
> more suitable (and actually the only possible) for typelists. 

It has been discussed here before :), see, for example,
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/boost/message/15044 thread.

> So striving to implement std::list's interface for typelist might
> be a misguided effort.

FWIW, boost::mpl::type_list doesn't have any "member functions" at all :).

--
Aleksey