Re: [boost] Heads up - string_ref landing

Subject: Re: [boost] Heads up - string_ref landing
From: Rob Stewart (robertstewart_at_[hidden])
Date: 2012-12-12 10:54:13

On Dec 12, 2012, at 8:26 AM, Jeff Flinn <Jeffrey.Flinn_at_[hidden]> wrote:

> On 12/12/2012 2:50 AM, Yakov Galka wrote:
>> On Sun, Dec 9, 2012 at 3:13 PM, Rob Stewart <robertstewart_at_[hidden]>wrote:
>> 
>>> 
>>>>> - char const * data()
>>>>> - size_t length()
>>>> I propose the alias size().
>>> 
>>> string_ref isn't a container like string, so I prefer just length().
>> 
>> 
>> I propose adding size() and throwing length() away.
>> Really.
>> 
>> 1. According to the standard, string is not a container either.

Ok, but string contains both.

>> 2. initializer_list, which is semantically very similar to string_ref, does use .size().

OK

>> 3. Leaving the scope of the standard, Boost.Range uses boost::size(x) for ranges. I.e. size is a property of a range, not a container.

OK

>> 4. I always found string::length() to be an inconsistency in the standard
>> library. I guess the reason for its existence is purely historical.

I don't consider it a defect. It is the common vernacular to speak of a string's length.

> +1
> 
> I've got template code that currently takes, string's and vector<char>'s and uses size. With string_ref being a natural candidate, I'd hope it would work out of the box.

That's a reasonable argument.

Perhaps both size() and length() are appropriate.

___
Rob