Re: [boost] [smart ptr] Any interest in copy-on-write pointer for C++11?

Subject: Re: [boost] [smart ptr] Any interest in copy-on-write pointer for C++11?
From: Matus Chochlik (chochlik_at_[hidden])
Date: 2013-02-09 17:18:43

On Sat, Feb 9, 2013 at 11:07 PM, Peter Dimov <lists_at_[hidden]> wrote:
> Ralph Tandetzky wrote:
>>
>> On 02/09/2013 05:25 PM, Peter Dimov wrote:
>> > Ralph Tandetzky wrote:
>> >> I would really like to get feedback on the design of cow_ptr<T> >>
>> >> <https://github.com/ralphtandetzky/cow_ptr.git> rather than discussing, >>
>> >> if copy-on-write is a useful pattern in general.
>> >
>> > Looks pretty good, but I don't like the name much.
>>

Ralph, IMO this library is useful (should not be overused, though).
But I don't like the name either.

>> What's wrong with the name?
>
>
> Well.
>
> 1. It's an acronym.
> 2. ... but uses lowercase.
> 3. It's a farm animal.
> 4. ... enticing you to use member function names such as "moo".

:) this got me wondering if the Moo language uses COW a lot.

> 5. It is sufficiently descriptive for one of the primary use cases
> (eliminating redundant expensive copies) but not for the other (a
> polymorphic value pointer).
>