Re: [boost] Why use Boost?

From: Oliver Kullmann (O.Kullmann_at_[hidden])
Date: 2006-02-02 12:51:33

On Thu, Feb 02, 2006 at 08:32:30AM -0800, Matt Doyle wrote:
> 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: boost-bounces_at_[hidden]
> > [mailto:boost-bounces_at_[hidden]]On Behalf Of David Maisonave
> > "Paul Giaccone" <paulg_at_[hidden]> wrote in message
> > news:<43E1D46C.7000500_at_[hidden]>...
> > > There is a thread on the Boost-users mailing list at the 
> <snip>
> > IMHO, the help documents waist too much space in giving details that
> > really don't help the average user to figure out how to use an
> > interface. 
> > Take intrusive_pr document for an example:
> > http://www.boost.org/libs/smart_ptr/intrusive_ptr.html
> > 
> > There's no example usage at all.
> > It waist a lot of space giving details Synopsis and Members, but very
> > little space for an introduction, or a good explanation on how to use
> > it.
> 

I think it would help a lot (and would be relatively easy to establish) if
every boost library documentation would have a devoted example section
(I mean, real text there, not just a file), and there we would find
*many simple* examples. Too often either we don't have examples, or there
is one which is already quite complicated --- those are alright for later,
but for the beginning we want to see simple examples, and quite a few of them.
In this way one easily gets a first feeling how to use it and what to expect.

Oliver

P.S. A system which perfectly implements the "only-convoluted examples to show off"
system is the R system; I believe that in those 5 years I'm using it (occasionally)
I have never ever found any example which gave me anything; yet Boost doesn't 
reach that level, but with a little effort ...