RE: [boost] Formal Review: Template Metaprogramming Library (MPL)

From: Paul A. Bristow (boost_at_[hidden])
Date: 2002-07-24 08:29:54

I have grappled with the concepts and documentation, skimmed some code but
not tried to use it in anger.

Minor observations:

1 I find iter_fold a most unhelpful and obscure name.  Would iter_operate be
better?

2 Table of Content should surely be plural Contents? (Occurs twice?)

3 I find the _c suffix less than obvious. (The paper uses it without prior
definition which left me fast forwarding to find what it meant!).  It would
be more in keeping with current trends towards full words to make the suffix
_constant.  What does _impl mean? Why is forward abbreviated to fwd but
backward spelt out? (I would use forward and backward)  meta_fun sounds like
some sort of virtual sex!

4  All the documentation would benefit greatly from MANY more examples.
These could be provided in-line, or as hyperlinks.
I find the examples much more easily understood than the rather standardese
descriptions
(though these are essential).

5  The structure of the documentation left me confused. It doesn't seem to
start with a top-level index.html and link to everything else?  It needs an
index of course.

6 Comments do not follow the style guide of starting with capital letter and
ending with a period.
(Also useful error messages - which can be confusing if they become
concatenated with other output!).

Overall I support adoption of MPL. It appears to have great potential.
Being based on C++ and STL are great strengths, but MPL will need a lot of
selling through more and better documentation and examples to really catch
on.

Paul

Dr Paul A Bristow, hetp Chromatography
Prizet Farmhouse, Kendal, Cumbria, LA8 8AB  UK
[phone]  Mobile [phone]
mailto:pbristow_at_[hidden]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: boost-bounces_at_[hidden]
> [mailto:boost-bounces_at_[hidden]]On Behalf Of Douglas Gregor
> Sent: Thursday, July 18, 2002 1:47 AM
> To: boost_at_[hidden]; boost-announce_at_[hidden]
> Subject: [boost] Formal Review: Template Metaprogramming Library (MPL)
>