Re: [boost] [iostreams] request for advice on naming [repost]

From: Rob Stewart (stewart_at_[hidden])
Date: 2005-07-09 14:47:42

From: "Jonathan Turkanis" <technews_at_[hidden]>
> Rob Stewart wrote:
> > From: "Jonathan Turkanis" <technews_at_[hidden]>
> >> Rob Stewart wrote:
> >>> From: Thorsten Ottosen <nesotto_at_[hidden]>
> >>>> Jonathan Turkanis <technews <at> kangaroologic.com> writes:
> >>>>
> > You may find these a bit redundant, but what about "iostream" and
> > "iostreambuf?"
> 
> 'iostream' suffers the same problem as 'streambuf': it already names a type in
> namespace std.

Right.  Same problem/same opportunity to ignore until
standardization.

> > Another approach, which I like less, but might give you an idea,
> > is "streamer" and "streambuffer."  (Well, "streambuffer" is just
> > fine, but I don't care much for "streamer.")
> 
> I think I need to keep stream and streambuf as components of the names, because
> I don't want to rename filtering_stream/filtering_streambuf.

Well, whatever you call generic_stream and generic_streambuf,
can't filtering_stream and filtering_streambuf follow suit?

> > Maybe a departure from "stream" is in order: pipe, pipeline,
> > formatter, ...?
> 
> 'pipeline' is already used for the return type of expressions like
> 
>    gzip_compressor() | base64_encoder() | file_sink(...)

Yeah, I was just trying to find something that might work or
trigger a thought in your head.

> I may use the name 'pipe' for wrappers for operating system pipes, or portable

Sure.

> replacements. 'formatter' seems in appropriate, since for now the library
> handles only unformatted i/o, relying on the standard iostreams library to
> provide a formatting layer.

Agreed.

> Maybe I could go Alexandrescuesque:
> 
>     flex_stream, flex_streambuf

Well, due to the PBD, they are flexible.

> Or black separatist:
> 
>    xstream, xstreambuf
> 
> Actually, this looks pretty good. Maybe it would run afoul of the prohibition
> against cryptic names; there's a precedent, however, in xtime from
> Boost.Threads.

The "x" can imply "extension" or "extended," so that does work
pretty nicely.  Besides, it keeps the names short.

-- 
Rob Stewart                           stewart_at_[hidden]
Software Engineer                     http://www.sig.com
Susquehanna International Group, LLP  using std::disclaimer;