[boost] Re: Yet another variant-style type, and boost inter-library dependencies

From: David Abrahams (dave_at_[hidden])
Date: 2005-01-04 18:02:06

christopher diggins wrote:

> In general I am curious about how other boosters feel about boost library 
> sizes and inter-library couplings. For me this is a big obstacle to using 
> boost in many circumstances. It doesn't seem to be a concern at all for the 
> boost community, but I wonder if other programmers have similar sentiments 
> and find themselves often seeking out simpler alternatives.

It's good to reduce coupling.  It's good to keep libraries small.  That
said...

The point of code libraries is to do things once well, rather than a
thousand times poorly.  Library designers and application programmers
alike should avail themselves of that resource.  I wouldn't forego using
a boost library in another library just for the sake of avoiding a
dependency, especially if it meant I was duplicating functionality.

-- 
Dave Abrahams
Boost Consulting
http://www.boost-consulting.com