Re: [boost] [gsoc-2013] proposal for approximate string matching

Subject: Re: [boost] [gsoc-2013] proposal for approximate string matching
From: Erik Erlandson (eerlands_at_[hidden])
Date: 2013-04-27 14:20:29

> >
> >
> For those who use STL distance is signed integer. If you choose unsigned
> integer, then I suggest reconsider function names to avoid potential
> confusion for users. For example, is it "deviation" that you name
> "distance"?
> 

I thought the signed result type was "difference", not "distance." 

Formally, any proper distance metric is always >= 0.   String edit distance is such a metric, and I'd advocate both for continuing to call it edit_distance<>, and that it be an unsigned result.