Re: [boost] [serialization] fast array serialization (10x speedup)

From: Manfred Doudar (manfred.doudar_at_[hidden])
Date: 2005-11-25 01:27:20

Robert Ramey wrote:
> Manfred Doudar wrote:
> 
> 
>>>The main point is - do enhancement for special cases have to be
>>>incorporated into the the core code so that everybody else
>>>is obligated to use it?  What are the advantages and
>>>disadvantages of doing so?
>>
>>Umm, I don't follow - how are others going to be obligated to use
>>those special cases that don't necessarily apply to them?
> 
> 
> The design of the original submission changed binary_archive
> so that everyone would benefit from the enhancement whether
> they asked for it or not.  The library has been designed to
> avoid exactly that situation.

I'm with you now.

> 
> 

[snip]

> 
>>>>If there is to be any possibility of targetting an archive to this
>>>>format, then array support is crucial.
>>>
>>>
>>>Then just make an archive which does it- what's stopping you?
> 
> 
>>True - but the suggestion is that it's common enough to want as part
>>of the core library.
> 
> 
> Ahhh - perhaps this is the source of the confusion.  When I use the word
> "core library" I'm refering to the common set of facilities that ALL
> archives use.  For example, xml is not part o the core library - though
> its widely used.  xml_archives have been build on top of the "core"
> and are in fact a use case for the library.  Of course, users who
> don't build archives themselves may not be aware of of and see
> xml_archives are part of the "core library" because its included
> in the package and they just use it.  The library is really an
> archive construction kit.  As part of the package it includes
> 5 pre-made archives which
> 
> a) can be used as is
> b) can serve as examples for making one's own archives
> c) can be used as base classes for making variations and extentions
> d) can be composed with archive adaptors to create variations
> of existing archives - e.g. polymophic archives.
> 
> The current situation is where one user feels he needs to to something
> that none of the other archive creators have had to do - alter the
> construction kit itself.  This violates the factoring which has permited
> the library to be used to make all these different archives from the same
> core layer.  This same factoring has permitted the implementation
> of polymorphic versions of all the above 5 archives and will
> permit any new archive to be made polymorphic by composition
> with existing code.
> 
> ******************************************************
> *So for the Nth time.  This is not about whether or not archive
> *XDR, CDR, MPI, or XYZ should be made.  Anyone is free to make it.
> *Its about how to do it so that it doesn't impact anyone else's efforts.
> ******************************************************
> 

Excellent!  -Now that's an answer I think a lot of us have been looking 
for - hopefully it should clear things up for others too.

Thanks,
-- 
Manfred Doudar
MetOcean Engineers
www.metoceanengineers.com