Re: [boost] Formal Review Request: Boost.String.Convert

Subject: Re: [boost] Formal Review Request: Boost.String.Convert
From: Emil Dotchevski (emildotchevski_at_[hidden])
Date: 2009-02-17 15:10:06

On Tue, Feb 17, 2009 at 11:55 AM, Stewart, Robert
<Robert.Stewart_at_[hidden]> wrote:
> On Tuesday, February 17, 2009 2:51 PM
> Emil Dotchevski wrote:
>> On Tue, Feb 17, 2009 at 11:43 AM, Stewart, Robert
>> <Robert.Stewart_at_[hidden]> wrote:
>> > On Tuesday, February 17, 2009 2:39 PM
>> > Emil Dotchevski wrote:
>> >>
>> >> My question is, what is the motivation for the convert function?
>> >> What's the use case for it that doesn't work with
>> >> to_string/from_string?
>> >
>> > That was my suggestion to account for both conversion
>> directions and eliminate "string" from the name, thus opening
>> the interface to other conversions.
>>
>> An interface that converts anything to anything else is a separate
>> issue, and requires a separate discussion.
>>
>> If we concentrate on converting from and to string, I think that two
>> families of functions, to_string and from_string is the most logical
>> approach. When I want a string, I know that I want a string and at
>> that time I don't care about any other conversions. I can't think of a
>> use case when I might want a string but might also want something
>> else.
>
> The arguments, whether function or template, would specify the conversion to apply.  For example, to_string<int>(s) could also be written as convert<int>(s).  (Both can be rearranged to take two arguments and return a bool, for example, so the point is merely to eliminate directionality and "string" from the name.)

I don't buy this. In general, converting to_string requires formatting
specifiers, etc. If the semantics of convert() are that it can convert
anything to anything, it needs a way to configure the conversion, and
I don't see how all this can be crammed into a single practical
interface for all types (and even if that's possible, it's outside of
the scope of this discussion IMO.)

I'd much rather treat to_string and from_string not as synonyms of
convert(), but as two independent interfaces (meaning, two separate
HPP files: to_string.hpp and from_string.hpp) each designed for its
specific task. These two conversions are important enough to justify
this special attention.

Emil Dotchevski
Reverge Studios, Inc.
http://www.revergestudios.com/reblog/index.php?n=ReCode