Re: [boost] boost and google search

Subject: Re: [boost] boost and google search
From: Nathan Ridge (zeratul976_at_[hidden])
Date: 2011-11-23 11:46:14

> I am sure it is pretty common for users of boost to use google to search
> for documentation/tutorials on their favorite library in boost. I have
> found that the top hits are typically not the latest documents. For example
> I just searched for boost,foreach and a documentation from 1.35 was the
> first hit. It would be great if there is a way to tell google to update
> their links to the latest version. Anyone knows whether this is possible,
> and how to make it happen?
>
> This problem probably applies to any search engine but I can only comment
> on google search.

I have a related gripe: suppose I search google for "boost fusion". The first
result is:

Chapter 1. Fusion 2.1 - Boost 1.48.0
www.boost.org/doc/libs/release/libs/fusion/

So far, so good! But when I click on it, the address in my address bar is:

http://www.boost.org/doc/libs/1_48_0/libs/fusion/doc/html/index.html

When I then navigate to some page in the documentation, and copy the
link to post it somewhere (perhaps in a stackoverflow answer or a forum
post), the link is to the 1.48 docs, not the latest docs. When someone then
looks at the answer/post two years later and clicks on the link, they are
looking at a very outdated Boost version!

I think it would be better if it was set up so that when you follow a link
like www.boost.org/doc/libs/release/libs/fusion/, the address in your address
bar remains www.boost.org/doc/libs/release/libs/fusion/, not 
http://www.boost.org/doc/libs/1_48_0/libs/fusion/doc/html/index.html, and
therefore the link is always pointing to the latest version. My understanding
is that this is not difficult to do.

If you happen to want a link specifically to 1.48 docs, you can still get it
by following a "1_48" link (e.g. from the Boost -> Libraries -> 1.48 page)
rather than a "release" link.

Regards,
Nate