[boost] Deprecation of compilers and libraries

Subject: [boost] Deprecation of compilers and libraries
From: Jeroen Habraken (vexocide_at_[hidden])
Date: 2011-03-17 17:04:57

Hi,

It seems the acceptance of Phoenix V3 has raised the question on how
to handle the deprecation of compilers and libraries again. I believe
it is important to reach a consensus and to make an official statement
regarding it, as it's important for both users and developers. Below
I've assembled a set of questions I would like to see answered:

Compilers:
1. What minimum of compilers should a library support for it to be
considered for review?
2. What is necessary for a compiler previously supported to be removed
from this list?

Libraries:
3. Should library X be marked as preferred over library Y, since
multiple solutions to a similar problem are becoming more common and
the right choice might not be obvious to a user?
4. Can an existing library be marked "deprecated"?
5. Once deprecated will a library be removed from boost after X releases?
6. Should a backwards compatible solution exist for a library to be removed?

Personally I believe dead branches should, in due time, be cut from
the tree for boost to remain at the forefront of C++ development.
Especially now the number of libraries is growing, we should aim for
clarity.

Regards,
Jeroen Habraken