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

Subject: Re: [boost] Formal Review Request: Boost.Convert
From: Andrey Semashev (andrey.semashev_at_[hidden])
Date: 2009-02-28 05:55:17

Emil Dotchevski wrote:

> What's wrong with the following call syntax:
> 
> boost::convert<target>( source const & [,arg1,arg2,...] )
> 
> that is, the caller provides the target type for the conversion, then
> the first argument is considered the source (deduced automatically),
> and the rest of the arguments configure the conversion.
> 
> Going back to my uuid example, uuid.hpp could simply say:
> 
> #include <string>
> 
> namespace user {
>   class uuid;
>   template <class Target> Target convert( uuid const & );
>   template <> std::string convert<std::string>( uuid const & );
> }
> 
> (no need to include anything.)
> 
> Now, the user of uuid.hpp can also #include "boost/convert.hpp" when
> making calls to convert. This could provide generic overloads that
> support common conversion options, which would bind only if uuid.hpp
> doesn't provide overloads itself (which would obviously be more
> specialized and the overload resolution will prefer them over the
> convert.hpp generics.)

Sorry, I can't imagine how the generic convert.hpp could provide support 
for additional conversion options for user::uuid. It is my understanding 
that such options should be supported by the user::uuid implementer and 
should not be part of Boost.Convert. I may not understand your point 
well, though. Could you produce an illustrating code sample?