Re: [boost] Assign V2 - first impression

Subject: Re: [boost] Assign V2 - first impression
From: er (er.ci.2020_at_[hidden])
Date: 2011-06-23 07:37:56

> I continued with the tutorial, but it didn't help me much in the
> understanding how V2 would make my life easier.
>
> V2's first example:
>
>>
>> typedef std::string word_;
>> const char x[] = "foo";
>> const char y[4] = { 'b', 'a', 'r', '\0' };
>> word_ z = "***baz";
>> std::map<int, word_>  map;
>> put( map )( 1, x, 3 )( 2, y )( 3, z, 3, 3 )( 4, "qux" );
>
>
> If I was given the above code and had to figure out the contents of map, I
> would fail to do so.

It's impossible to have a syntax that is 100% self-explanatory. The 
tutorial states:

For a map, as above, the first argument is treated as a key, and the 
rest is forwarded to the mapped-type's constructor, word_( x, 3 ), in 
the first call. Key and data are then combined into a pair, which is 
inserted using modifier insert.

> What's the benefit of the library to construct the container's value_type,
> instead of explicitly by the user?

Yet this is what you do (construct the container's value_type) in your 
previous example:

"To my taste, I prefer V1
insert( m )( "Bar", 1 )( "Foo", 2 );"

While you only state a preference over V2, it's hard to see that you are 
unhappy with it.

"Bar"  and 1 are combined into a pair, which is the value_type of the 
map containers. My example just uses varying number of arguments to 
create the mapped value.