Re: [boost] [review] boost::convert

Subject: Re: [boost] [review] boost::convert
From: Michael Caisse (boost_at_[hidden])
Date: 2011-04-27 20:14:42

On 04/27/2011 04:07 PM, Vladimir Batov wrote:
>> Jeroen Habraken<vexocide<at>  gmail.com>  writes:
>> ...
>>      
>
> What I am trying to say is that with 'convert' I am trying to give some users
> *something* and to keep working to satisfy the needs of the remaining users who
> need more. You, on the other hand, seem to prefer rejecting 'convert' outright
> and giving everyone nothing. Do you really think it is constructive or
> beneficial for anyone?
>
>    

I don't have an opinion on this library yet but hope to find time for a 
review of it.

In the meantime, I thought I would comment on this statement. Variations 
came up in both the bigint and locale reviews. As I'm sure you know, 
Boost isn't just a collection of libraries. It strives to be a 
collection of "expertly designed" libraries. I don't remember "it is 
useful for some users" as being on the list of reasons to accept a 
library into Boost. Plenty of perfectly usable libraries have been 
rejected over the years simply because it could be better. I don't 
recall "giving everyone nothing" as an argument in the past but it sure 
has become popular recently.

>> Since he has abandoned the library I believe it is time for
>> someone to step up and take it to the next level.
>>      
> How well are you qualified to make statements of that sort? Have you actually
> talked to the author? Or is it merely your impression, opinion, etc? My take of
> the situation is different (after I talked to the author and the then
> maintainer, endured many days of discussions on the list, went through the pain
> of actually reimplementing what was seemingly within the reach in the form of
> lexical_cast).
>    

In this same thread that you responded to a few weeks back the current 
maintainer stated he no longer has time and is happy if someone else can 
pick it up:

<http://boost.2283326.n4.nabble.com/lexical-cast-version-of-lexical-cast-in-1-46-1-is-quite-older-than-in-trunk-td3413661.html>

Clearly, that can mean different things to different people; however, if 
the library has no maintainer and the community decides that the best 
approach would be expanding lexical_cast to support these added 
features, then it will happen.

Best regards -
michael

-- 
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Object Modeling Designs
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