Re: [boost] [type_erasure] Review ends today July 27, 2012

Subject: Re: [boost] [type_erasure] Review ends today July 27, 2012
From: Paul A. Bristow (pbristow_at_[hidden])
Date: 2012-08-01 09:51:16

> -----Original Message-----
> From: boost-bounces_at_[hidden] [mailto:boost-bounces_at_[hidden]] On Behalf Of Joel de
> Guzman
> Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2012 1:35 PM
> To: boost_at_[hidden]
> Cc: boost-users_at_[hidden]
> Subject: Re: [boost] [type_erasure] Review ends today July 27, 2012
 
> >>>> 3. What is your evaluation of the documentation?
> 
> I just skimmed through the docs to get what I need (see below). It would be good to have examples
at the
> bottom of each of the reference sections like that of MPL, Fusion and the PPlib. Example:
> 
>    http://www.boost.org/doc/libs/1_50_0/libs/mpl/doc/refmanual/fold.html
> 
> At the bottom, we have an example.

I'd like to second this suggestion, having had an deeply look at the docs (and playing with the
code).
Examples are *really, really, really* useful.  More examples, well commented, like the sequence
printers would be valuable.
I'd like a long kitchen-sink example that guides you up gently.

I found the learning curve to be near vertical (needing a lots of 'Friends' as the rock climbers
say).

The quality of the docs is excellent, but it needs to take users much more by the hand and go
slowly, including lots of example en route.  To be widely used, the docs need to be usable by the
'great unwashed'.  Feedback from novices may be the best guide to where the 'overhangs' lie.

I noted that the name boost::type_erasure::any shares with boost::any (deliberately) : this creates
a namespace-confusion pit into which user are bound to fall.  A warning would be useful? Is prior
knowledge of Boost.Any required or a hindrance?

Wikipedia has a definition of type_erasure that might be referenced?

HTH

Paul

---
Paul A. Bristow,
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[phone]  07714330204
pbristow_at_[hidden]