Re: [boost] gsoc project

Subject: Re: [boost] gsoc project
From: Paul A. Bristow (pbristow_at_[hidden])
Date: 2011-03-30 12:57:40

> -----Original Message-----
> From: boost-bounces_at_[hidden] [mailto:boost-bounces_at_[hidden]]
> On Behalf Of Scott McMurray
> Sent: Saturday, March 26, 2011 2:17 AM
> To: boost_at_[hidden]
> Subject: Re: [boost] gsoc project
> 
> On Fri, Mar 25, 2011 at 04:31, Daniel James <dnljms_at_[hidden]> wrote:
> > On 25 March 2011 10:07, Paul A. Bristow <pbristow_at_[hidden]> wrote:
> >>
> >> There are already have five people looking at this project, but you
> >> might like to look at
> >>
> >> https://svn.boost.org/svn/boost/sandbox/SOC/2011/checks/
> >
> > Have you seen Scott McMurray's hash library?
> >
> > http://svn.boost.org/svn/boost/sandbox/hash/
> >
> 
> I saw the checks and hashes as somewhat different projects.  It would be
silly,
> for example, to calculate the check digit for a VISA card using the same
interface
> as a SHA-512 hash.
> 
> I'd encourage a potential GSOC participant to focus just on check digits.
As the
> wiki mentions, there aren't any libraries out there for it, and it'd be a
very useful
> thing for all sorts of scenarios.

I agree - that was my original intention.

But there are *some* similarities between the two.
(Often you feed a string and you get a 'check' be it a single 4 bit digit,
or a loadsabits digest?).

> All those things like "member numbers" or "catalog item numbers" just cry
out
> for them to make the UX less terrible.  And pragmatically, a check digits
library
> probably won't have to prove competitive performance with Crypto++, Botan,
> OpenSSL, etc in order to be accepted.  It'd probably be mostly an
interface-
> driven review.

And there are plenty of checks to do before getting too ambitious.  I hope
I've made it clear that I place great importance on finishing each type of
check (including tests and docs) before doing another one. 
 
> That said, if anyone does want to work on hashes, I'd be happy to help.
(At least
> as much as I can under the Work for Hire that's prevented me from working
on it
> lately.)

It would be silly to reinvent your wheels.

Thanks

Paul

---
Paul A. Bristow,
Prizet Farmhouse, Kendal LA8 8AB  UK
[phone]  07714330204
pbristow_at_[hidden]