[boost] [string_ref] Feature requests

Subject: [boost] [string_ref] Feature requests
From: Daniel James (dnljms_at_[hidden])
Date: 2012-12-29 09:33:02

Hi,

I've been trying to convert quickbook to use boost::string_ref, and
there are a few missing features that might be useful:

Construction from a pair of iterators, either
std::basic_string::const_iterator, or
boost::basic_string_ref::const_iterator. Which of course can be the
same type, which is annoying but not too hard to work around.

Easy conversion to std::basic_string. There's a C++11 explicit string
operator, but that isn't much good for portable code. Something like a
'string' or 'to_string' member would do the trick.

Support for comparisons with std::basic_string. The comparison
operators are templates so they aren't called with an implicit
conversion. Could use a template parameter for the type so that it
picks up anything which is (implicitly?) convertible to
boost::basic_string_ref, maybe using SFINAE.

I didn't need it, but could probably also could do with a 'hash_value'
function for boost::hash support. Is potentially error prone if the
original string is modified or destroy, but there are some valid use
cases.

thanks,

Daniel