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Subject: Re: [boost] [review] Formal review period for Sort library begins today, November 10, and ends Wednesday, November 19
From: Paul A. Bristow (pbristow_at_[hidden])
Date: 2014-11-13 10:00:15


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Boost [mailto:boost-bounces_at_[hidden]] On Behalf Of Edward Diener
> Sent: 10 November 2014 05:38
> To: boost_at_[hidden]
> Cc: boost-users_at_[hidden]
> Subject: [boost] [review] Formal review period for Sort library begins today,
> November 10, and ends Wednesday, November 19
>
> The formal review of the Sort library by Steven Ross starts today, November 10
and
> is scheduled to continue through November 19th.
> For your review you may wish to consider the following questions:
>
> - What is your evaluation of the design?

Well established history (though how much usage is less clear - but that is
point of adding to Boost).

> - What is your evaluation of the implementation?

Neatly templated, making it immediately useful to Boost C++ users (including
Boost.Multiprecision).

Although pinning down sort speed can be very tricky considering the very, very
many confounding factors,
well demonstrated and at least partly understood by Steven Ross,
his evidence was convincing that in some cases, sorting with the Spreadsort can
be usefully (if not always dramatically) faster.

With all sorts of sort, YMMY always applies.
The only true evaluation methodology is suck'n'see.

> - What is your evaluation of the documentation?

OK - though I'd like to see much more (and more recent) bibliography on sorting.

And using Quickbook would give it a more familiar look'n'feel, and be more
easily maintained. (Ask me for help?)

> - What is your evaluation of the potential usefulness of the library?

Although some reviewers counter that those who need speed will parallel and use
a GPU,
this algorithm allows the sorting novice to easily test if the heuristics
provided will be good enough,
without the potentially precipitous learning curve of fancier sort tactics.

> - Did you try to use the library
No.

> - How much effort did you put into your evaluation?
A quick reading.

> - Are you knowledgeable about the problem domain?
No.

> And finally, every review should attempt to answer this question:
>
> - Do you think the library should be accepted as a Boost library?

Yes because it seems a useful addition to Boost. Boost needs more on sorting
and this looks a good starting point.

The author obviously knows more about sorting than the average user.

A Boost.Sort library would encourage other template sort algorithms to be added.

Steven Ross is willing to maintain the library, hopefully adding contributions
from others.

I'd like to see at least one more algorithm in order to justify the Boost.Sort
library title.

(Failing that the library should be called Boost.Spreadsort - but I'd much
prefer Boost.Sort).

Paul

---
Paul A. Bristow
Prizet Farmhouse
Kendal UK LA8 8AB
+44 (0) 1539 561830

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