Re: [boost] [GTL] - geometric template library - determininginterest

From: Simonson, Lucanus J (lucanus.j.simonson_at_[hidden])
Date: 2007-10-07 21:54:38

Fernando wrote:
>There are different ways in which you can approach a concept-based
design, 
>but is clear that a good modern library must follow one.
>Do expect some crictizism regarding the specific approach to concepts
you 
>have taken, but FWIW I like it better than the CGAL approach (which is
also 
>concept based).

I welcome the criticism.  I would like to learn some new things and
improve on what I have done so far with the library.  In particular I
can probably do a few things to improve the error msgs people get when
they hook things up incorrectly.

>So one stated goal of your library is that it should be truly
*generic*, 
>meaning that a user should be abe to take some concrete facility and
apply 
>it to its own data structures.

Yes.  I worry that if we took just the bottom layer (basic types)
without any of the algorithms people would not be able to understand why
I took the trouble to generalize.

>> The usefulness of the libraries is just the
>> bait to get people to read the code and learn from it.
>Being useful is one of the stated requirements for any boost library,
but 
>you have a point. If the library is really cool in the way it is
designed 
>and implemented, then one could argue that its usefullness lies exactly

>there.

These algorithms are of general usefulness to VLSI cad.  They probably
have applications in other fields (how many axis parallel rectangles do
you see on your computer monitor every day?), but I can promise a great
deal of interest will come from my industry.  The primary problem with
these algorithms is that it seems like an easy enough problem that
everyone tries to solve it for themselves, but is actually hard enough
that most people fail to do it right.  I have just today learned of yet
another such example from within Intel.  I'm starting to loose count.
That problem would be solved if there were a really good public domain
implementation in a place like boost.

Unfortunately, I have also learned that I may be forced to wait three
months before being allowed to request at the department level that the
source code be released.  Once that is done, I will be allowed to hurry
up and wait for the corporate level process.  I'm afraid I can no longer
be optimistic about how long it will take before I can upload the code.
I'm working every angle I can think of, however.

Luke