Re: [boost] Is Boost interested in the Boost-based Base64 library

Subject: Re: [boost] Is Boost interested in the Boost-based Base64 library
From: Robert Ramey (ramey_at_[hidden])
Date: 2011-06-11 19:15:24

Anthony Foiani wrote:
> "Robert Ramey" <ramey_at_[hidden]> writes:
>
> [snipped example wrapping detailed, generic code to provide "obvious"
> if less flexible interface]
>
...
>> This is the reasoning behind my suggestion that for something like
>> this one should be prepared to think bigger. In my view value of
>> something like this (it DOES have value) isn't justified by the cost
>> of getting it into boost. My advice - think bigger.
>
> Does a cookbook seem a reasonable way to think bigger?
>
>> I realize that the overhead of all this isn't your fault, but it
>> still exists. I don't see boost as having the infrasture to handle
>> an army of small (special purpose) functions such as this.
>
> It might be that creating such a nook would allow for quite a few
> contributions, precisely because there's such a high hurdle to
> overcome for a normal library. I'd guess that everyone on this list
> has a handful of "helper functions" that they'd be happy to submit if
> it only took an hour of their time, but can't afford to make fully
> generic and fleshed out and then wait 6 months for review.
>
> Just an idea

It's not such a bad idea - but it's an entirely different idea than what
boost is.  I think we're in agreement here.

Off topic - but I'll make a couple of comments on the C++ Cookbook ideal

Actually this exists.  I simply troll the net for "C++ base64 source code"
and I get a bunch of hits.  I didn't look into them but I would hope/expect
that there would be something similar to that which has been proposed.
I would look at them, and perhaps copy one of them out and into my
code.  This is fine, works fine, and solves my problem.

But this doesn't belong in boost.  Boost strives to catalogue the
difinitive, complete and general solution to widely encountered problem
domains.  This means the the libraries are of necessity more complete,
better documented, better tested, rigorously reviewed and vetted. It's
an entirely different thing than the C++ cookbook.  Boost is feeling
the strain trying to keep up with it's current mission which no one else
is doing.  It can't expand in to new territory which is already covered.

Just because an idea may be a good idea, it doesn't necessarily follow
that it should be in boost.

Robert Ramey