Re: [boost] Re: Proposed smart_handle library

From: Alan Bellingham (alan_at_[hidden])
Date: 2003-07-19 19:25:59

Victor A. Wagner Jr.:

>>How do you measure failure?  Certainly MFC is primitive, but tens of
>>thousands of developers use it every day.  There are better
>>alternatives - Microsoft tells me they have been shipping an
>>"unsupported" library which is "what MFC would have been if we'd
>>started with templates".
>
>did they give you the name of this library?

Presumably this is WTL - the Windows Template Library.

<url:http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=128e26ee-2112-4cf7-b28e-7727d9a1f288&displaylang=en>

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overview
Windows Template Library (WTL) is a library for developing Windows®
applications and UI components. It extends ATL (Active Template Library)
and provides a set of classes for controls, dialogs, frame windows, GDI
objects, and more. This version provides full support for Visual Studio
.NET and Windows XP.

Note: The Windows Template Library (WTL) is not supported by Microsoft
Product Support Services. However, you may find some peer support at the
WTL Support List Web site. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Despite the unsupported nature, it's currently at version 7.0

When they mention templates, they certainly went far beyond MFC - ATL
not only uses multiple inheritance, it even use the Curiously Recurring
Template Pattern.

Having said which, any further discussion is probably off topic, unless
we're trying to learn lessons from its design to apply to Boost
candidates.

Alan
-- 
Alan Bellingham