SV: [boost] Re: Re: Regexp code bloat

From: Henrik Ravn (web_at_[hidden])
Date: 2002-10-25 18:57:06

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> As far as I remember it was more than that but you don't need 
> to ask me
> about acceptability. Divide 50k by 3k/s and you will get time 
> you will wait
> for download using 28800 modem --- the most popular :-( device used
> to access Internet. The question would be: "Are you willing to 
> wait extra 17
> seconds in order to allow some developers to use stock 
> library for simple
> things instead of hard-coding it?" And you should ask average 
> user about
> that. The truth is that average user will go for the latter. 
> Of course,
> there is no free lunch and functionality costs some size. I 
> am just saying
> that the less is the better providing we have what we want. :-) And
> libraries, which are posed to be widely used, should take 
> special care about
> size (and speed, and flexibility, and...) --- you know it 
> better than me.

Just for the sake of argument, let's say that I could implement my
own regex-like needs in 25K instead of the 'bloated' 50K from regex++
... are you really saying that the extra (let's be pessimistic and
round it up) 10 seconds will stop a users from downloading an app?
The question *I* would ask of this hypothetical average user would
be:
Are you willing to spend an extra 10 seconds in order to allow the
developer to use a mature, well-tested, publicly reviewed library
(even for simple things) instead of reinventing it every time with
the implied chance that he or she gets it wrong somehow?

I think we should be very careful about drawing quick conclusions
about how much average users are willing to download.
Just for fun I went to a popular general download site,
www.tucows.com, and looked at their top 15 downloads. The average
size of those 15 most downloaded apps was ~7.5 MB. This is not meant
to prove anything, just a reminder that there *are* other criteria
than executable size that decide whether users will download your
app.

Note, that this is not an argument against refactoring regex++ (if
that is needed and doable), but just an argument for putting
executable size in its place along with all the other factors in
software development.

be well
- -h-

"When we remember that we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and
life stands explained"
  -- Mark Twain

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