Re: [boost] Permanently retire VC++ 6?

From: Bo Persson (bop_at_[hidden])
Date: 2005-12-06 16:36:14

"David Abrahams" <dave_at_[hidden]> skrev i meddelandet 
news:uwtiivxay.fsf_at_boost-consulting.com...
> "Reece Dunn" <msclrhd_at_[hidden]> writes:
>> This is down to how many resources a tester can put into running 
>> the
>> tests.
>> It takes a reasonable amount of time and hard drive space to run 
>> the
>> regression tests *per compiler, version and platform*. I know that 
>> this is
>> distributed across several testers, but there are only a few core 
>> testers
>> that run the tests frequently. It also costs money and effort to 
>> set up a
>> new compiler/version.
>
>
> How is that any different from today?
>
> As far as I can tell, you failed to address my core question.  What
> does making some compilers "supported" and others "not supported" 
> mean
> for our process, our developers, our users, and our testers?
>

It may save us from code looking like this (is_reference.hpp):

#ifndef BOOST_NO_TEMPLATE_PARTIAL_SPECIALIZATION

BOOST_TT_AUX_BOOL_TRAIT_DEF1(is_reference,T,false)
BOOST_TT_AUX_BOOL_TRAIT_PARTIAL_SPEC1_1(typename 
T,is_reference,T&,true)

#if defined(__BORLANDC__) && !defined(__COMO__) && (__BORLANDC__ < 
0x600)
// these are illegal specialisations; cv-qualifies applied to
// references have no effect according to [8.3.2p1],
// C++ Builder requires them though as it treats cv-qualified
// references as distinct types...
BOOST_TT_AUX_BOOL_TRAIT_PARTIAL_SPEC1_1(typename T,is_reference,T& 
const,true)
BOOST_TT_AUX_BOOL_TRAIT_PARTIAL_SPEC1_1(typename T,is_reference,T& 
volatile,true)
BOOST_TT_AUX_BOOL_TRAIT_PARTIAL_SPEC1_1(typename T,is_reference,T& 
const volatile,true)
#endif

#if defined(__GNUC__) && (__GNUC__ < 3)
// these allow us to work around illegally cv-qualified reference
// types.
BOOST_TT_AUX_BOOL_TRAIT_PARTIAL_SPEC1_1(typename T,is_reference,T 
const ,::boost::is_reference<T>::value)
BOOST_TT_AUX_BOOL_TRAIT_PARTIAL_SPEC1_1(typename T,is_reference,T 
volatile ,::boost::is_reference<T>::value)
BOOST_TT_AUX_BOOL_TRAIT_PARTIAL_SPEC1_1(typename T,is_reference,T 
const volatile ,::boost::is_reference<T>::value)
// However, the above specializations confuse gcc 2.96 unless we also
// supply these specializations for array types
BOOST_TT_AUX_BOOL_TRAIT_PARTIAL_SPEC1_2(typename T,unsigned long 
N,is_reference,T[N],false)
BOOST_TT_AUX_BOOL_TRAIT_PARTIAL_SPEC1_2(typename T,unsigned long 
N,is_reference,const T[N],false)
BOOST_TT_AUX_BOOL_TRAIT_PARTIAL_SPEC1_2(typename T,unsigned long 
N,is_reference,volatile T[N],false)
BOOST_TT_AUX_BOOL_TRAIT_PARTIAL_SPEC1_2(typename T,unsigned long 
N,is_reference,const volatile T[N],false)
#endif

#else

where there is plenty of workarounds, but no real C++ code in sight. 
This is really more of a Boost specification language than standard 
C++. If we skip all of the "terribly nonstandard" compilers, we can 
also remove most of this kind of code.

I would see this as a great improvement to the library!

Bo Persson