Re: [boost] The Lonely Song of the MPL Maintainer -- or Boost support for antediluvian compiler and the future supprot of C++11

Subject: Re: [boost] The Lonely Song of the MPL Maintainer -- or Boost support for antediluvian compiler and the future supprot of C++11
From: Hartmut Kaiser (hartmut.kaiser_at_[hidden])
Date: 2011-08-13 13:21:47

> This is meant to be a serious thread and not some trollfest about w/e
> compilers.
> 
> I am currently fixing bugs and applying feature request in MPL and it just
> happens I spend more time deciphering the web of compatibility #ifdefs
> than doing actual code. A rough guestimate tells me that on a
> 100 lines MPL files, 80 of them are #ifdef for compatibility.
> 
> It could fine and dandy if those #ifdefs where not, for a majority,
> targeted at compiler i didnt even knew hwere standard conformant (ICC 5,
> really) or still in serious use (Borland whatever). Some other are more
> debatable (like MSVC 6 or such).
> 
> Considering such compilers are so broken that upgrading boost is out of
> question for these users and that C++11 and its new set of supporting
> compilers are around the corner, also taking into account my limited
> amount of sanity (IRC people can testify on this), can't we start some
> support clean up in this library ?
> 
> <radical>
> Going further, shouldn't we start thinking at boost 2.0 which will
> definitevely let c++03 die its peaceful death and start, on a voluntary
> effort, move boost component toward C++11. I know we have a fully working
> Fusion for 0x only. mpl, proto and other strategic infrastructure
> libraries should benefit from that. Some are a trivial port like Boost.PP
> and all the TR1 boost library that will just either disappear or forward
> the C++11 version.
> </radical>
> 
> Here is the status of the thingy. Letting Boost 2.0 aside, what should be
> the status of MPL and its sharazadian list of supported compiler ?

I fully support the motion to get started with Boost V2, which should be to
C++11 what Boost was originally to C++98. Today we know that the
infrastructure libraries are needed most, so why not leave the existing MPL
alone and start over? We already have the C++11 version of Fusion and given
the fact, that MPL is mostly a clean subset of Fusion anyways we should have
a head start already.

Regards Hartmut
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