Re: [boost] Preprocessor: documentation comment

From: David Abrahams (david.abrahams_at_[hidden])
Date: 2002-06-13 20:00:15

----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Mensonides" <pmenso57_at_[hidden]>

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "David Abrahams" <david.abrahams_at_[hidden]>
>
> > *I* understand what it is; I'm looking out for the next guy that comes
> > along.
>
> Okay.  I forgot you were a genius!  :)

Please. You already explained this stuff to me in some detail at my
request!

> > > The documentation would be clearer, if 'automatic recursion' was a
link
> > that
> > > described what it is is.
> >
> > Yes, that would be a big help. However, most users don't even need to
know,
> > do they?
> >
> > -Dave
>
> They don't necessarily need to know how 'automatic recursion' is
implemented,
> but they do need to know somewhat what the limitations are.  For
instance,
> BOOST_PP_REPEAT can 'expand' inside 'itself', but only a finite number of
times.

Yes, that's the right way to explain it.

> In that sense, the documentation is fairly clear--2D and 3D repetitions
are
> directly supported.

Most people will wonder why it deserves a mention, and probably will wonder
why it's "recursive" for a few minutes. I think "nested" would be a better
term here.

> Also, without the reference to 'automatic recursion' it
> seems, to someone reasonably familiar with Cpp

Compared to you and Vesa, nobody is "reasonably familiar" with Cpp. We need
"docs for the rest of us".

> that it would be *impossible*
> for the macro to expand to itself.  In any case, there is likely to be a
great
> many references to automatic recursion in the documentation, and it would
be
> easier to localize a small synopsis of it.

Agreed.

-Dave