Re: [boost] Boost libraries after C++0x acceptance

From: Robert Ramey (ramey_at_[hidden])
Date: 2006-10-08 16:32:36

Edward Diener wrote:
> Robert Ramey wrote:
>
>> What is the point of having a library standard anyway?
>>
>
> I have always viewed the importance of a library standard as a means
> of specifying that an implementation which supports the language must
> provide the library also.

> This automatically creates a common set of
> functionality for all implementations of the language. I view that as a
> good thing ...

no disagreement there.  My question is how to guarentee this.  There
are at least two options:

a) tweak the library to fit the compiler and meet the standard
b) all of the following:
    i) requiring a language conforming implementation for the library
    ii) provide a reference implementation of the library.

My view is that the current situation tolerates and perhaps
encourages the a) while creating a huge amount of work
in creating the standards.  I believe that this work would
better be invested elsewhere.  Like actually bringing the
compiler(s) to conformance.

>but it certainly does not mean that the library standard must
> be the only library which works for nearly all implementations, as
> Boost  has shown.

The library standard doesn't "work".  It can't.  It's not code.  The
standard doesn't include an implemenation.  And once we
have a reference implementation which can be compiled on a
language conformant compiler, what is gained from the work
required to add it to the standard?

Robert Ramey