[boost] Re: Retry: merging all utf8 files

From: Vladimir Prus (ghost_at_[hidden])
Date: 2004-12-10 05:54:50

Robert Ramey wrote:

>> > Robert, would you want me to change serialization to include the file,
>> > too?
> 
> Just create the new place.  I'll tweak my stuff to include it from the new
> spot and remove the utf8 stuff from my project.
> 
>> 1. Are there any objections?
> 
> I still have a couple of questions:
> 
> a) how do we insure that that if a program uses several libraries each of
> which in turn uses the common utf8 module, we don't get multiply defined
> symbols at

The "common" files will be included into a wrapper file (one for each
library), with different namespaceses:

  namespace boost { namespace program_options {
      #include "../../libs/detail/utf8/utf8_codecvt.cpp"

> b) Please compare your version and my version to make sure that the new
> version is the union of any changes.  There are really annoying issues
> related to the namespaces where things like mbstate_t are found on
> different
> platforms.  My version has been tested back to bcb 5.51 and I believe
> includes accomdations for all these platforms.  Likely your version
> includes
> some differences to address issues that you've come accross.  So I would
> like to see the the two versions "melded".  I don't think this is hard as
> the differences if any should be very small.

Sure, I'll do my best.

> c) This brings up the question of testing.  I wrote a test which I would
> like to see incorporated in the normal testing routine.  This has been
> indispensable in smoking out small incompatibilities between library
> versions.  In many cases this is the only test that detects this stuff as
> serialization and program options are the only libraries that really use
> wide character i/o.

Where the test is? You mean utf8_codecvt_test which is part of
serialization? Sure, it should be included. The more tests, the better.

> 
> d) I would like to see the manual page moved into the appropriate spot as
> well.
> 
> All this suggests its has all the features of a full blown library - with
> only one module.  I also think its more than an implementation "detail". 
> So I would like to see created boost/libs/utility/utf8/... and be sort of
> "official".  There have been at least three recent proposals to make a
> more
> complete utf8 implementation.   If any of these were to be completed and
> accepted into boost they could replace what's already in here.  Making a
> libboost_utility would fix up the issue multiple definitions of the same
> module.  It would also mean that utf8 isn't some weird special case that
> has different rules as to its usage compared to other boost libraries.

I think I'm not at liberty to bypass the regular rules for library
acceptance. I'd rather add it to detail. Moving it to a different location
is always possible later.

> In effect, as a practical matter this module has been accepted into boost
> as
> part of two libraries.  Ample opportunity has been available to object to
> its inclusion during the course of two reviews.  It should be considered
> accepted until something better comes along.  When that happens, it can
> replaced with the "next great thing"

Given that those parts are implementation details, I think nobody cares
about them much.

>> 2. Who does it? I can do it soon.
> 
> I'm fine with this.  Create the new spot.  I'll switch over to it after
> any dust settles.

Will do this on Tuesday. (Monday is a holiday here).

- Volodya