Re: [boost] Boost and exceptions

Subject: Re: [boost] Boost and exceptions
From: John Maddock (boost.regex_at_[hidden])
Date: 2012-06-20 04:39:46

> Another way of saying this is that the stuff directly in boost/ is sort of
> "core boost" and including this stuff doesn't include anything outside of 
> this "core".
> Thus, when I write my code - then I know what I'm getting.

Well maybe the extended throw info that Boost.Exception provides *is* core 
boost?

> I include something <boost/throw_exception> and I get a whole layer
> of stuff I didn't ask for.  It makes my job and everyone else harder than
> it has to be.

Sure, but it's a pretty small lightweight layer of stuff.  I'd be very 
surprised if it's presence/absence could be detected in build times.

> And of course I'm still smarting from having the BOOST_NO_EXCEPTIONS
> definition change while I wasn't looking to from what has always been
> documented in a way that makes some sense to something that
> I still dont' get.

It hasn't changed - BOOST_NO_EXCEPTIONS means "no exception handling support 
is available in the compiler - so don't use exceptions anywhere".  When 
defined the Boost.Exception code doesn't even get #included.

And while I realize that *you* may not have been looking when this change 
happened, remember that Boost.Exception (including this change) was 
reviewed, and as I recall got a lot of discussion.

BTW there is a macro - BOOST_EXCEPTION_DISABLE - which disables use of 
Boost.Exception and reverts back to original boost/throw_exception.hpp 
behavior.  Of course that's a global change which can't be used on a 
library-by-library basis.  But frankly, I would prefer it if all libraries 
were on the same page here and all used BOOST_THROW_EXCETION consistently.

Just my 2c... John.