Re: [boost] [spirit] New Header Structure [was Re: Proposal: Add Loki Library's SafeFormat to Boost:]

Subject: Re: [boost] [spirit] New Header Structure [was Re: Proposal: Add Loki Library's SafeFormat to Boost:]
From: David Abrahams (dave_at_[hidden])
Date: 2009-01-10 21:06:36

on Sat Jan 10 2009, Markus Werle <numerical.simulation-AT-web.de> wrote:

> David Abrahams wrote:
>
>>> For me this library (which you call Spirit-2) is
>>> something so fundamentally new, it should
>>> a) undergo some review (at least concerning the interface)
>>> b) reside in its own directory
>> 
>> Well, Joel doesn't develop his library in a vacuum.
>
> Really? How can he move so fast then? ;-P
>  
>> There's a strong Spirit community that reviews all 
>> of his design decisions.  There's no voting, of course, 
>> but I don't think that would be appropriate here. 
>
> Could you please explain why you think it is not appropriate to vote
> about a completely new interface that enters boost?

The rules of Boost strike a careful balance between quality control and
author freedom.  I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but
"excessive regulation hurts the marketplace and suppresses innovation."

Aside from that, it's _not_ a completely new interface.  The code I see
in the Spirit-2 tutorial looks *very* familiar to me as someone familiar
with Spirit-1.  Certainly, the interface to Boost.Python 2.0 was much
more different from Boost.Python 1 than that is.

> I mean Spirit-X maybe once enters the C++ standard.
> It's already the most important parser library of 
> the world. So it is better not to carve errors in 
> stone at a stage that yet allows changes.
> Is it a problem if we all check this for user's issues
> *after* the inner circle is satisfied?

Go ahead, please.  I have every confidence that the Spirit developers
will be responsive to your observations.

-- 
Dave Abrahams
BoostPro Computing
http://www.boostpro.com