Re: [boost] New Boost.XInt Library, request preliminary review

Subject: Re: [boost] New Boost.XInt Library, request preliminary review
From: Paul A. Bristow (pbristow_at_[hidden])
Date: 2010-03-26 11:32:27

> -----Original Message-----
> From: boost-bounces_at_[hidden] [mailto:boost-bounces_at_[hidden]] On Behalf Of Chad Nelson
> Sent: Friday, March 26, 2010 5:42 AM
> To: boost_at_[hidden]
> Subject: [boost] New Boost.XInt Library, request preliminary review
> 
> Hi! I'm a long-time user (and admirer) of the Boost libraries, and I've
> just uploaded a new one to the Boost Vault for consideration: the
> Extended Integer (XInt) library, a unlimited-precision integer library
> that I've been working on for the last few months. I'd like to request a
> preliminary review of it, please.

Well - BigInts have become like London Buses - you wait for ages and then six of them come along ;-)

Your Xint looks interesting, Boost styled (if not Boost-style tests), and Boost licence.  Docs (though not
Doxygen/Quickbook) and no examples.  But these are trivial issues.

I've not been following the WG21 discussions of Bigger Integers - perhaps you can summarise their response to N1744 (was
is "we are too busy dealing with C++0X?").  

Paul

PS  I note it doesn't (yet) specialise std::numeric_limits?

numeric_limits is something that is very highly desirable/essential for many applications (for example the Boost.Math
package relies on this, and had to add it to be able to use the NTL package and GMP package).

NaN is essential IMO (if only to act as a 'missing value' marker (though I would favour a separate NaN for this purpose
from std::numeric_limits<>::quiet_naN();

---
Paul A. Bristow
Prizet Farmhouse
Kendal, UK   LA8 8AB
[phone], mobile [phone]
pbristow_at_[hidden]