Re: [boost] New libraries implementing C++11 features in C++03

Subject: Re: [boost] New libraries implementing C++11 features in C++03
From: Stewart, Robert (Robert.Stewart_at_[hidden])
Date: 2011-12-02 07:45:35

Nevin Liber wrote:
> On 1 December 2011 12:26, Stewart, Robert <Robert.Stewart_at_[hidden]>
> wrote:
>
> > I'm astounded at this line of thought, Dean.  When choosing
> > between two courses of action with reasonably equivalent
> > outcomes, surely the one with the least cost is better.
> > Thus, if using a library that is prone to triggering horrible
> > error messages when misused is compared against using another
> > library this does not trigger such error messages when
> > misused, the choice is clear.
>
> But the way people avoid the hard to read error messages is to move
> the error detection to runtime, where it is easy to control the error
> messages.  Unfortunately, error detection at runtime is usually much
> less thorough (as it is both hard to do and people don't want to incur
> the cost in correct code) and hence much more expensive.  The choice
> is between hard to read errors found early vs. (typically) much less
> thorough error checking found later.  To me, the choice is clear, in
> that I want to find as many errors as possible at compile time, even
> if those error messages are painful to understand and compile times
> are noticeably increased.

That's a false dichotomy.  I'm not suggesting there are not cases such as you describe, but it isn't a necessary difference: type safety can be managed in multiple ways.

Furthermore, the choice may well be between compile time versus runtime execution of logic, in which case performance may be a sufficient driver to incur the troublesome error messages.

_____
Rob Stewart                           robert.stewart_at_[hidden]
Software Engineer                     using std::disclaimer;
Dev Tools & Components
Susquehanna International Group, LLP  http://www.sig.com

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