Re: [boost] [xint] Boost.XInt formal review

Subject: Re: [boost] [xint] Boost.XInt formal review
From: Stewart, Robert (Robert.Stewart_at_[hidden])
Date: 2011-03-07 09:51:43

Chad Nelson wrote:
> "Stewart, Robert" <Robert.Stewart_at_[hidden]> wrote:
> > Chad Nelson wrote:
>
> >>> If I might make a suggestion, the XInt library interface
> >>> could be simplified by removing all notions of RNG quality
> >>> (strong, random, etc.) and become more in line with the
> >>> goal of providing a POD-like data type.
> >>
> >> Yes, but it would require pulling Boost.Random into the
> >> example code, which would complicate it.
> >
> > I don't think that's an unwarranted burden.
>
> Except that extraneous code in examples dilutes their
> effectiveness, by forcing the person reading them to deal with
> more code.

That's certainly true, but it applies to your classes, too, only now you must document and maintain them.

> The extra burden might be small, but it's
> definitely there. And using Boost.Random properly requires
> more than the single line of code that those generators do.

That's a legitimate reason, but then you can make yours part of the example code and document them as helpers that simplify the rest of the example code.  That would make the example bigger, but if that code was still factored out into separate, nicely commented files and was merely referenced with a brief explanatory comment in the example, it would permit you to keep the main part of the example simple without making the random code part of the library proper.

_____
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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