Re: [boost] [review] Dataflow Library

Subject: Re: [boost] [review] Dataflow Library
From: Stjepan Rajko (stipe_at_[hidden])
Date: 2008-09-04 13:15:53

On Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 6:51 AM, David Abrahams <dave_at_[hidden]> wrote:
>
> on Wed Sep 03 2008, "Stjepan Rajko" <stipe-AT-asu.edu> wrote:
>
>>
>> I have looked at Boost.Accumulators, and really like it's dataflow
>> characteristics, especially the way it deals with dependencies.  As
>> far as building on it, at the moment the Dataflow library is in it's
>> entirety focused on connecting components at run-time, and (unless I
>> am mistaken), the dataflow connections in a Boost.Accumulators
>> accumulator_set are all determined at compile time.
>
> I believe that is correct, except for "dropping" of accumulators, which
> adds a runtime component.
>

Yes, that is true.

> I am not really an expert on what you'd use such a library for It seems
> like compile-time configurability is of much greater interest in general
> for problems you'd approach with dataflow, especially if you are using a
> DSEL to describe the system.  In other words, when you actually *need*
> runtime configurability you'd probably want a graphical front-end or
> something, and the syntax of making connections in C++ wouldn't matter
> much.  Am I missign something?
>

You're right - in fact I already put together a proof-of-concept
editor which can be used with any framework that has a Dataflow
library support layer.  Some videos can be seen here:

http://dancinghacker.blip.tv/posts?view=archive

>>  * using a compile-time metagraph library, like the one suggested by
>> Gordon Woodhull:
>> http://archives.free.net.ph/message/20080706.145113.313c713e.en.html
>
> Yeah, I couldn't really get a grip on what Gordon was describing, so I
> thought I'd wait for his "soon, soon" which AFAIK hasn't happened yet
> :-)

I think he has some more descriptive posts, but that was the best I
could find last night :-(

If it helps any more to illustrate his idea, I think these examples are his:
http://svn.boost.org/svn/boost/sandbox/metagraph/libs/metagraph/example/

Kind regards,

Stjepan