Re: [boost] [swap] End-user allowed to add overloads to boost namespace?

From: Niels Dekker - mail address until 2008-12-31 (nd_mail_address_valid_until_2008-12-31_at_[hidden])
Date: 2008-07-31 04:52:11

David Walthall wrote:
> It seems like users should not be allowed to add to the boost::
> namespace.
> Here is my reasoning: if users are allowed to add to the boost
> namespace, what happens when/if that library (to which the user is
> adding code) becomes part of the standard and is moved to std::? 
> Either the rule against adding to std:: would need to be relaxed or
> user code would break when the library becomes part of std::.

Good point! Thanks for your feedback, David.

> The only exception I can see is if it is a work-around for a compiler
> that isn't standards compliant since the compiler will (presumably) be
> updated and not need the work-around at the point that the library is
> added to the std:: namespace.  (I'm not sure if this boost::swap issue
> falls under this exception.)

Yes, my question was really based upon the fact that for some compilers, 
the end user might want to add a boost::swap overload, because of 
missing compiler support for argument-dependent lookup (ADL).

Anyway, I still want to see if we can somehow work around those ADL 
related compiler bugs within the boost::swap utility itself. But before 
doing so, I would like to see "test_adl_barrier" go green on the 
regression: 
http://www.boost.org/development/tests/trunk/developer/utility-swap_.html 
Which seems like just a matter of time  :-)

Kind regards, Niels