Re: [boost] [program_options]

Subject: Re: [boost] [program_options]
From: Matthew Herrmann (matthew.herrmann_at_[hidden])
Date: 2010-03-04 18:27:44

Thorsten Ottosen wrote:
> I tried using
>
>     bpo::options_description desc("Allowed options");
>         desc.add_options()
>         (HELP, "produce help message");
>
> but this fails to compile because HELP is an std::string.
>
> Isn't that a bit too restrictive?
Last I checked, boost::program_options took const char* in several 
places where it would end up storing them as std::strings anyway. Taking 
"const std::string&" would also clarify that passing temporary strings 
is fine, whereas "const char*" as an arg hints to me that the pointers 
should remain valid until options_description is destroyed (purely 
question of taste though).

I'd vote to replace const char* everywhere in the program options 
interface with std::string. (excluding the "char* argv[]" of course)

My 5c,
Matthew