Re: [boost] [log] Boost.Log formal review closing down

Subject: Re: [boost] [log] Boost.Log formal review closing down
From: Stewart, Robert (Robert.Stewart_at_[hidden])
Date: 2010-03-19 07:04:18

I'm late to the game, but I wanted to add my thoughts to the mix.

- Should the library be accepted?

Yes, with conditions.  There are numerous things, most raised already in the discussions and reviews, that give me pause.  They aren't sufficient for me to reject the library, even as I have doubts as to whether I can use it to replace our in-house logging.  Sadly, real life, including illness, has prevented me from attempting to integrate the proposed library into any of our applications for performance comparisons or to verify features.

I'm also concerned about the number of suggestions Andrey has entertained during the review.  The interface and mechanisms for assembling pieces will, it seems, change dramatically in some cases, so its hard to say I'll like the result.  I propose a mini-review to verify that the result is still acceptable.

- What is your evaluation of the design?

The design, as is, was well conceived, with useful, orthogonal concepts.  Unfortunately, it seems that many good ideas were left in the shadows until the review, so Andrey couldn't start the review having considered and assimilated them.

- What is your evaluation of the implementation?

I didn't look.

- What is your evaluation of the documentation?

There is a great deal of room to improve the text as English is clearly not Andrey's first language.  I will try to help in that regard once Andrey has incorporated his intended changes.  Otherwise, it does a nice job of walking the newcomer through the features of the library and of providing details when desired.  Others have commented on missing details, examples, and links between the parts, so there's no need for me to rehash those points.

- What is your evaluation of the potential usefulness of the library?

Logging is an important part of any serious application or library.  This library seems to be reasonably competitive in features and performance with well known, extant libraries.  Therefore, it provides useful capabilities that have long been missing from Boost.  It provides all of the features of our internal logging library, if less accessible in some ways, making it at least as capable.

- Did you try to use the library?

Unfortunately, no.

- How much effort did you put into your evaluation?

I spent a lot of time just following the review discussions.  My hat is off to Andrey for keeping up with it all.  I spent some hours reading the documentation.

- Are you knowledgeable about the problem domain?

Yes.  I maintain and have significantly refactored the logging mechanisms used in my company's libraries and applications.  I have used various logging mechanisms in years past.

I congratulate Andrey on crafting a very nice library.  I hope he can make sense of the varied concerns and ideas raised during the review.  He has been staunch in defending his view of the scope of the library, so that will serve him well, even as he considers extending that scope somewhat.

_____
Rob Stewart                           robert.stewart_at_[hidden]
Software Engineer, Core Software      using std::disclaimer;
Susquehanna International Group, LLP  http://www.sig.com

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