Re: [boost] [boost::endian] Request for comments/interest

Subject: Re: [boost] [boost::endian] Request for comments/interest
From: Terry Golubiewski (tjgolubi_at_[hidden])
Date: 2010-06-03 01:10:29

 const endian<big, T>* src = reinterpret_cast<const
>> endian<big, T>*>(buf);
>> endian<native, T>* dst = reinterpret_cast<endian<native, T>*>(buf);
>>
>> (void) copy(src, src+numTs, dst);
>
> A call to swap_in_place() avoids the ugly reinterpret_casts and looks far 
> simpler.
>
> Thus far, I'm not convinced that there is any value in the endian types, 
> but keep trying!

swap_in_place still needs a reinterpret_cast too to convert from the 'char * 
buf' assembled from the hypothetical TCP stream.
What bugs me is that 'buf' doesn't point to a 'T' yet.  It points to a 
half-baked 'T'.  Only after one calls swap_in_place() is the object really a 
'T'.
The reinterpret_casts are valuable here because they show that the 
programmer is doing a potentially dangerous thing -- changing the memory 
underlying a structure in place!

terry