[boost] boost::filesystem request

Subject: [boost] boost::filesystem request
From: Jorge Lodos Vigil (lodos_at_[hidden])
Date: 2008-10-27 07:51:50

Hi
The Traits classes for basic_path provided in the filesystem library (path_traits and wpath_traits) are good enough to be used as default values for basic_path in most cases.
However, since they are independent structs, they can not be used to instantiate a basic_path with a single String template parameter. I would like to write:

typedef basic_string<char> string_t;
typedef fs::basic_path<string_t, fs::basic_path_traits<string_t> > path_t;

Currently we are forced to write in our code something as:

template <typename String>
struct path_traits
{};

template <>
struct path_traits<std::string>
{
typedef boost::filesystem::path_traits traits_t;
};

template <>
struct path_traits<std::wstring>
{
typedef boost::filesystem::wpath_traits traits_t;
};

typedef std::basic_string<CharT> string_t;
typedef boost::filesystem::basic_path<string_t, typename path_traits<string_t>::traits_t > path_t;

I underestand it is important to emphasize that Traits classes have nothing to do with String classes in path instantiations, so my question is: Is it reasonable to ask that path traits classes provided in the library would be implemented as template specializations instead of separate classes?

Thanks in advance.
Best regards

Jorge