Re: [boost] [modularization] Modularizing Boost (modularization)

Subject: Re: [boost] [modularization] Modularizing Boost (modularization)
From: Niall Douglas (s_sourceforge_at_[hidden])
Date: 2013-10-18 11:07:35

On 18 Oct 2013 at 16:37, Klaim - Joël Lamotte wrote:

> I agree with Joel, I always assumed (few years ago) that that's what would
> happen and I'm still surprised it's not seriously considered. I guess
> that's a discussion for post-modularization but I
> fear that this discussion will get in limbo and hurt boost like the issues
> with the review process.

I suspect some or all of these reasons have something to do with it:

1. Boost is much bigger now => more effort to modernise, more 
maintainers to obtain buy in.

2. Boost is much older now => more maintainers are more emotionally 
disengaged, have family commitments and other subtractors from free 
time. I know when my first baby appears in a few months, I will be 
choosing my free time very differently from the past.

3. A lot of people do genuinely think C++03 is "good enough".

4. A lot of people don't know how so much better programming in pure 
C++11 is compared to grafting some C++11 onto a C++03 codebase. Until 
they write greenfield C++11 projects, they won't fully know and 
appreciate the game change.

5. Lack of decent Visual Studio support for C++11. That changes with 
VS2013 of course, but it still affects a lot of developers e.g. my 
opposition to C++11-ising my code would be mainly a "it won't be 
portable yet" argument (which I ignored in AFIO which is some C++11 
only of course).

I think Beman might have an idea in a v2.x Boost - one whose 
libraries *solely* consist of C++11 upgraded libraries. Any libraries 
from Boost v1.x not upgraded to C++11 get dropped from v2.x.

I look forward to the aghastness at the idea of dropping libraries 
from Boost :)

Niall

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