Re: [boost] hex/unhex()?

Subject: Re: [boost] hex/unhex()?
From: Olaf van der Spek (ml_at_[hidden])
Date: 2011-11-02 16:32:47

On Wed, Nov 2, 2011 at 8:32 PM, Marshall Clow <mclow.lists_at_[hidden]> wrote:
>>> AFAIK to hex can't fail and in that case a variant that returns
>>> std::string would be nicer.
>
> Sure it can.
> The container that you are putting it into (std::string, say) could fail on memory allocation.
> Just because it's really unlikely doesn't mean it can't happen.
> (If you don't want to worry about it, then don't)

Right, but wouldn't the exception just be propagated to the caller?

>> Doesn't it 'return' a std::string? If you dislike the current API a small
>> wrapper function can easily handle that.
>
> Right - like this (for example):
>
> std::string hexS ( const std::string &input ) {
>        std::string result;
>        result.reserve ( input.size () * 2 );   // Harry Harrison
>        hex ( input, std::back_inserter ( result ));
>        return result;
>        }

Yep, except that it should not be limited to std::string.

Olaf