[boost] [gsoc] Summer of Code 2012

Subject: [boost] [gsoc] Summer of Code 2012
From: Andrew Sutton (asutton.list_at_[hidden])
Date: 2012-02-04 19:35:45

Has it been a year already?

Google has just announced the 2012 Summer of Code program, and we'd
like to participate again. I think last year was particularly
successful. We reviewed and accepted two new libraries and moved
several more into a state where they can be reviewed.

This year should be interesting. We have a new C++ programming
language, several libraries in the standard, and we want more. Many,
many more. If you didn't get a chance to watch Herb Sutter's keynote
talk at GoingNative 2012, you should. It will be available on-demand
from this site some time in the next few days.

http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/GoingNative/GoingNative-2012

[Spoiler alert] Herb wants libraries -- and not just tools for
programmers. C++ wants UI libraries, graphics, database connectivity,
cryptography, XML, network protocols, SMS support, back office
support, etc. I would love to see some of these libraries developed
through Boost. In C++11.

Bjarne Stroustrup said he hadn't seen this much energy around C++ in a
decade. People are excited to be writing C++11 -- and they're younger
people for the first time in a long time. We should be capitalizing on
this.

If you have library ideas, please email me here: andrew.n.sutton -at-
gmail.com. I will collect these and put them on the idea page.

Some comments for mentors: I'm not concerned with summer-long time
constraints this year. I'd really like to establish long-term
relationships with our students. I'm not strictly concerned with
backwards compatibility support. I think we should be encouraging
students (and people in general) to write in C++. Hiding new language
features behind compatibility macros isn't exciting. It might be fine
for when time comes for releases, but let's not require students to
build release-ready software.

This year, I'd like to see proposals for *new* libraries to be written in C++11.

Andrew