Re: [boost] [website] Proposal for new page - Libraries By Type

From: Paul Giaccone (paulg_at_[hidden])
Date: 2006-02-17 06:25:40

David Abrahams wrote:

>Beth Jacobson <bethj_at_[hidden]> writes:
>  
>
>>Inspired by a recent discussion on the "Why Use Boost?" thread, I've 
>>started working on a new web page designed to briefly answer that 
>>question for each library.
>>    
>>
>
>It's a nice page, but I'd like to know what it accomplishes that isn't
>accomplished by the "libraries by category" list.
>  
>
Let's remember that this intention of this information is to explain to 
the user who knows next to nothing about Boost why they should use it.

"Libraries Listed by category" is tucked away halfway down the 
"Documentation" page.  Imagine I am a casual user coming across the 
boost.org website for the first time.  As Mr Casual User, I read 
"Welcome to Boost.org!" and that section suggests I should look at 
"Getting started".  That allows me to download the libraries, but I have 
no desire to do that yet.  I then look at the background information 
page and read a few testimonials.  These sound like marketing talk to 
me.  Fair enough, but everyone does that to promote their product.  All 
well and good to say it's great, but how is it great?  I still don't 
know at this point.  I still haven't found any link to "what Boost can 
do for you" or something similar.

There's a link to "Documentation", but I don't click on that because 
it's "obviously" for people who are already using the library.  By this 
time, I haven't been convinced, so I go and look at someone else's 
product instead.  I miss out on the information that I was looking for 
because it was hidden away somewhere I wouldn't have thought of looking.

Let's suppose, however, I am a bit more persistent and dig deeper into 
the site.  I find "Libraries Listed by Category".  First line: 
"conversion/lexical_cast - lexical_cast  class template".  This doesn't 
catch my eye.  Next: "format - Type-safe 'printf-like' format 
operations".  OK, that might be a good thing.  I read it, but by itself 
it's not enough to make me want to use Boost. "iostreams - Framework for 
defining streams, [etc]"  How's that different from what C++ already 
gives me?  Skip that one.  Remember I'm just browsing, so I'm not going 
to read everything unless it looks it would be worthwhile.

These descriptions are clearly intended to be used by the existing user 
as a reference guide, and they are fine in that respect.  They don't, 
however, act as a lure to potential users.  They don't tell me how each 
library could vastly improve the efficiency and reliably of my C++ 
programs.  In short, they don't make me want to start using Boost this 
instant and wonder how I ever managed without it.

On the other hand, the documentation Beth is proposing does get my 
interest about Boost.  It points out what it can do for me and makes me 
want to use it, and it does it straight away.  My view is that Beth's 
content (with appropriate revisions - it is clearly not yet complete or 
as good as it could be) should be adopted and linked to prominently from 
the main page.

I commend the proposed documentation to the house :)

Paul