Re: [boost] Formal Review: Boost.Polygon

Subject: Re: [boost] Formal Review: Boost.Polygon
From: Simonson, Lucanus J (lucanus.j.simonson_at_[hidden])
Date: 2009-09-06 20:46:47

Phil Endecott wrote:
> I am pleased to be able to review this important library.  Boost
> would definitely benefit from the addition of a geometry library of
> the right sort. 
> 
> I am certainly not a geometry expert, but I have written a number of
> things in the
> last few years that use geometry in GUIs and for geographic data.  I
> have written this
> review as a potential user by evaluating how well it would work in a
> couple of example
> applications.
> 
> My experience over all has been a little disappointing.  I think this
> is mainly because
> I had very high hopes for the library.  The reality has not quite met
> my expectations.
> As I will explain in detail below, my complaints are mainly things
> like excessive warnings and odd misfeatures in the interface.  These
> are all things 
> that could be
> fixed, and they perhaps only indicate that the library has arrived a
> little prematurely.  Based only on these issues my verdict would be
> that that 
> the library
> could be accepted after some revisions.  But we must also look at the
> bigger picture,
> i.e. the existence of other competing libraries "in the wings".  I
> will 
> discuss this
> after describing my practical evaluation.

Thank you, Phil, for your detailed review.  I am most grateful that you spent so much time to evaluate my library.  I don't know how I could have gotten feedback as detailed and valuable as you provided without a formal review.  A few weeks ago I came up with an observation about boost: participating in the boost community is ultimately uplifting precisely because it is humbling.  It is still true.

Thanks again,
Luke