Re: [boost] Review Request: Introduction of boost::string namespace and string-conversion functions

Subject: Re: [boost] Review Request: Introduction of boost::string namespace and string-conversion functions
From: Phil Endecott (spam_from_boost_dev_at_[hidden])
Date: 2009-02-11 18:21:13

Vladimir Batov wrote:
> Based on the previous string-conversion-related discussion that revolved 
> around lexical_cast (started with 
> http://lists.boost.org/Archives/boost/2009/01/147013.php) and Dave's 
> suggestion (http://lists.boost.org/Archives/boost/2009/02/147995.php) I 
> would like to propose to create a new 
>
>         boost::string 
>
> namespace where I'd expect all string-related functionality might be 
> logically housed.

OK, but I'd like to suggest that we should avoid thinking of strings as 
being particularly "special" in any way.  As far as possible we should 
write generic stuff that can work with any container<char>.  This makes 
it easier to move to things like UTF8 strings, to work with raw char*s, etc.

If we don't think that it's possible to make this new stuff generic we 
should think about why that is.

> Dave already mentioned that "Jeff Garland had a really nice set of proposed extensions to
> std::string that could live in the same space".

I guess this is the link:
http://lists.boost.org/Archives/boost/2006/07/107087.php

> My immediate interest/proposal in that namespace would be the 
> string-conversion functionality.

What do people think about the string/number conversions in N2408 ?  
(http://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg21/docs/papers/2007/n2408.html - 
what is the status of that?)  Unless there's something wrong with that, 
I think we should build on it rather than re-inventing the wheel.  
(Well, one thing that's wrong with it is that it treats strings as 
"special", rather than working with generic container-of-characters, 
per my first point...)

Phil.