RE: [boost] Is there any interest in a simple template for streamingin/out primitives and STL Containers of them?

From: Boris Kats (boriskats_at_[hidden])
Date: 2004-09-06 13:29:50

Thank you for leading me to your superb outfmt lib.
>From my point of view it isn't fair to compare one
small streamline.h file ( 350 rows and no compilation
is necessary) with your library, which consist of tens
of files. This tiny file is doing almost the same job
as your library, except formatting.
It was my initial temptation to add additional
parameter in argument list to manage format, something
like that:
struct fmt
{
  char containerOpenBrackets;    // '{'
  char elementOpenBrackets;      // '('
  char separator;                // ','
  char elementCloseBrackets;     // ')'
  char containerCloseBrackets;   // '}'
};

Later on I have drop this attempt because the very
concept of formatting has a lot of problems:
1) User can not read from the stream without prior
   knowledge of what type of formatting was used,
   when that stream was created. 
2) Problems will came up, when one will stream out
   the container of strings and some of those
   strings can contain the chars, which were
   used for formatting as "[{,]}". The streaming out
   of such container will not cause any problems, but 
  
   how to read it back?
It is my opinion that Library can not rely on special
treatment of any chars, except white-spaces 
" \t\n\r\v\f", which should be used as separators.

It will be interesting to hear yours and the other
people thoughts about this matter.
Regards,
   Boris.
P.S. The results of streaming out of 
     const char *str="Hello"; 
     should be Hello according to C-style.
P.P.S. What is the problem to stream that item
   std::list< std::pair< std::string, std::string > >
?
   The streamline template will handle it and any
   other combinations of 
   containers/pair/string/primitives easily.
B.K.
--- Reece Dunn <msclrhd_at_[hidden]> wrote:

> Boris Kats wrote:
> >I am using it for some time and hope that other
> will
> >benefit from it.
> >One file streamline.h will help user to stream
> out/in
> >an arbitrary item of primitives or STL containers
> of
> >them.
> >It is very simple to use; just type like this:
> >
> >#include "streamline.h"
> >using namespace hekate;
> >.......
> >typedef std::pair<std::string, std::vector<int> >
> >element;
> >element one,other;
> >And stream it out as:   streamline(cout,one);
> >or stream  it in as:    streamline(cin,other); .
> >
> >User will find a lot of examples in the
> streamtest.cpp
> >file
> >at streamline.tar in "Files section".
> >The streaming templates were tested with gcc
> version
> >3.3.2, msvc7 and
> >ibm89 c++ compiler.
> >Boris Kats.
> 
> Hi Boris,
> 
> As Jonathan has pointed out, my library is aimed at
> solving this type of 
> problem. Your example would become:
> 
> #include <sstream>
> #include <boost/outfmt/stl/vector.hpp>
> #include <boost/outfmt/stl/pair.hpp>
> 
> int main()
> {
>    typedef std::pair< std::string, std::vector< int
> > > element;
>    element one, other;
> 
>    one.first = "Meine \"Grosse\" Welt!";
>    one.second.push_back( 3 );
>    one.second.push_back( 6 );
>    one.second.push_back( 9 );
> 
>    std::stringstream ss;
>    ss << one;
>    std::cout << "written: " << ss.str() << '\n';
>    ss >> other;
>    std::cout << "read: " << other << '\n';
> 
>    return( 0 );
> }
> 
> Providing a much simpler syntax and stream
> integration. The output for this 
> is:
>    written: ( "Meine \"Grosse\" Welt!", [ 3, 6, 9 ]
> )
>    read: ( "Meine \"Grosse\" Welt!", [ 3, 6, 9 ] )
> 
> It is possible to control how the pair and vector
> types are rendered using a 
> custom formatter. Refer to the examples and
> documentation for more 
> information.
> 
> Regards,
> Reece
> 
>
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