Re: [boost] Stream input and output of NaN and infinity

From: Paul A Bristow (pbristow_at_[hidden])
Date: 2006-05-17 11:54:04

|  -----Original Message-----
|  From: boost-bounces_at_[hidden] 
|  [mailto:boost-bounces_at_[hidden]] On Behalf Of Robert Ramey
|  Sent: 17 May 2006 16:43
|  To: boost_at_[hidden]
|  Subject: Re: [boost] Stream input and output of NaN and infinity
|  
|  Paul A Bristow wrote:
|  
|  >> Please can you tell me if you think my pragmatic proposal (now in
|  >> version 2) meets these limited objectives.
|  
|  A valient effort aimed to deal with a real problem in most 
|  (if not all) stream i/o implementations.
|  
|  However, trying to get everyone in sync with this and having the
|  changes ripple through to compilers, libraries, etc will/would take
|  years.
|  
|  I think that efforts would be more fruitful if directed to fixing
|  the problem given the tools we currently have.
|  
|  I would like to see a couple of sets of num_put/num_get facets
|  which implement the following:
|  
|  a) mapping of Nan's to some agreed upon strings such as you
|  use in your proposal.
|  
|  b) trapping of Nan's on output.
|  
|  When users created the a stream, they could do one of the following
|  
|  a) nothing - use the current setup
|  b) use the "standardized mapping facets"
|  c) use the "trapping facets"
|  
|  This would permit one to choose the best behavior for the
|  current application.
|  
|  It's not that I'm against making a submission to the standard, I just
|  don't think that a "standard" solution is going to really address the
|  problem - its not one size fits all.
|  
|  Robert Ramey

I agree strongly - I'd be delighted to see what you suggest, asap.

(An exercise for a 'student'?)

But I think my 'size' may fit many, so I think trying to get it in the
Standard is also a good idea.

(It should never have been left as a muddle like this to start IMO.

The Standard should have said 'if you want to do this, do it like this').

A working implementation showing its usefulness would be powerful persuader
for WG21.
(VisualAge appears to come close already - is anyone using it with
Boost.Serialization?)

(Preparing this was my 'reward' for attending a BSI WG21 meeting - if I'd
kept my mouth shut I wouldn't have got a homework job ;-)

Paul

---
Paul A Bristow
Prizet Farmhouse, Kendal, Cumbria UK LA8 8AB
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