Re: [boost] [Docs] Should remove_pointer doc make mention of and link to pointee doc?

Subject: Re: [boost] [Docs] Should remove_pointer doc make mention of and link to pointee doc?
From: David Abrahams (dave_at_[hidden])
Date: 2010-07-03 11:47:22

On Jul 3, 2010, at 4:33 AM, Mostafa wrote:

> Hi all,
> 
> Shouldn't the remove_pointer doc [tinyurl.com/336cmlp] under type_traits library make mention of and link to the pointee doc [http://tinyurl.com/339n3f4]?

Nope.  The latter is not really related.  type_traits deal with basics of the C++ type system, like pointers.  pointee deals with a higher-level idea that includes smart pointers and iterators.

> (I must say that I've been wholly ignorant of the latter in the couple of years that I've been using boost, since I always expected it to be under type_traits.) Additionally, it would be great if it was explained why it's not part of the type_traits library, since, at least I believe, it's not very obvious.

See above.  If you can suggest specific wording changes to the docs that would clarify this stuff, I'd appreciate it.

> One last question, why is pointee under the iterator library docs, when it also deals with shared_ptrs? Shouldn't it fall under the utility doc? (The iterator doc would be the last place I would look if I wanted to find something on shared_ptrs.)

Maybe, but it was built as part of the implementation of indirect_iterator, so that's where it ended up.

--
David Abrahams
BoostPro Computing
http://boostpro.com