[boost] [string_ref] [utility] Add string_view?

Subject: [boost] [string_ref] [utility] Add string_view?
From: Beman Dawes (bdawes_at_[hidden])
Date: 2015-07-05 08:34:29

Boost has shipped string_ref since 1.53. See
www.boost.org/doc/libs/1_58_0/libs/utility/doc/html/string_ref.html

In the meantime, the C++ committee has shipped a final version, named
string_view, in the Library Fundamentals TS. See
http://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg21/docs/papers/2015/n4480.html#string.view

In addition to the name change, the interface in the TS more closely mimics
the std::basic_string interface.

I'd really like to see the final TS basic_string_view added to Boost so I
can start using it now. Using basic_string_ref, and then later having to
rename all uses, is less attractive. I suspect others may feel the same way.

Because a Boost basic_string_view would be an implementation of a standard
library TS class, and because basic_string_ref is already in Boost, it
seems a min-review would be sufficient rather than a formal review. So what
I'm proposing here is to create a basic_string_view branch of the utility
repo, and start working on basic_string_view there. Once it is reasonably
compliant with the TS and Boost doc requirements we would hold a
mini-review and then merge the branch to develop, and once stable, to
release.

Comments?

--Beman