Re: [boost] Answers re BENUM library for automated enum streaming

Subject: Re: [boost] Answers re BENUM library for automated enum streaming
From: Tony D (tony_in_da_uk_at_[hidden])
Date: 2008-09-26 21:19:43

Hi Marcus,

Thank you for your guidance, and my turn to apologise for slow turn-around and mistaking the name of EnumIO.  Noted the heads-up re boost code formatting standards - will have to do something I guess :-(.  As you say, my library relies on "exotic features", and while I was happy to discover Sun Studio has supported __VA_ARGS__ for a long time, VC++ support only came is 2005, and I'm not so happy to be unable to find explicit mention of it in the discussions for C++0x... so avoidance is definitely a strength for EnumIO.

I did receive one suggestion elsewhere - think it's worth sharing as you might consider it for EnumIO.  Idea is: "inheriting" from an existing enum and adding new values.  An "extendable" enum would be packaged in a class that actually stores the value in an int and has a protected set_from_int(int) method.  A derived class defines an enum with additional symbols/values, constructors from the base's enum and their own enum - both of which call the base set_from_int().  (A protected constructor from int() could be used - and might be more efficient - but in the case of BENUM would complicate end-user control over whether construction from int is implicit or explicit.)  Thought that was a pretty neat idea.

Lots to do on the docs, examples etc..

Regards,

Tony



----- Original Message ----
From: Marcus Lindblom <macke_at_[hidden]>
To: boost_at_[hidden]
Sent: Friday, 19 September, 2008 17:53:24
Subject: Re: [boost] Answers re BENUM library for automated enum streaming

(Sorry for not replying sooner)

Tony D wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> Should I expect any further feedback re BENUM?  David, Marcus: we've discussed specific issues (portability of variadic macros, smart_enum features) - do you have further questions, comments re my replies, or recommended actions before submission for formal review?  Should I be doing more to pursue suggestions or solicit feedback?  Is anyone else currently reviewing the code in the vault, experiment with usage in a real system, or planning to do so?  If so, can we keep in touch re progress?  If I don't hear anything to the contrary this week, I'll start doing the preparations for requesting  a formal review, specifically my TODO list currently looks like:

Small detail: My little embryo is called EnumIO, not smart_enum. 
Smart_enum is probably something different altogether.

I'm quite happy with the answers, and I think it suits as a good
replacement for my lib. I took a brief look at the code, and besides it 
not being formatted according to boost standards, it looked pretty ok.

I still think my little lib is useful, mainly because it doesn't rely on 
exotic features and it can also be used in a non-intrusive fashion.

But I see no bigger conflict as your will probably win the future. 
(Besides, I'll have to figure out a few things before I can publish mine 
for review, as noted in the link I posted a few mails back. If I ever 
get there there will probably be some discussion about integration, etc.)



Cheers,
/Marcus

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