Re: [boost] Heads up - string_ref landing

Subject: Re: [boost] Heads up - string_ref landing
From: Mathias Gaunard (mathias.gaunard_at_[hidden])
Date: 2012-11-27 14:09:57

On 26/11/12 13:52, Daniel James wrote:
> On 26 November 2012 11:56, Andrey Semashev <andrey.semashev_at_[hidden]> wrote:
>> The problem with std::string is the same as with string_ref - it
>> doesn't support implicit construction from an arbitrary range, so my
>> examples with custom string types would still not work.
>
> Shouldn't construction from an arbitrary range be explicit? Arbitrary
> implicit conversions are problematic. To get implicit construction
> from third party strings, I'd use some sort of explicit customisation
> mechanism.

I never understood what problems people had with implicit conversion.
Sure, a template implicit conversion operator is dangerous, but all 
other uses, in particular implicit constructors, have no problem really.