Re: [boost] [review] Review of Outcome (starts Fri-19-May)

Subject: Re: [boost] [review] Review of Outcome (starts Fri-19-May)
From: Niall Douglas (s_sourceforge_at_[hidden])
Date: 2017-05-19 19:05:29

>> The minimum known working compilers are listed at
>> https://ned14.github.io/boost.outcome/prerequisites.html. As it says,
>> you need GCC 5.4 minimum, and in practice GCC 6 if you want to avoid
>> ICEs, and GCC 7 if you want full functionality (assuming GCC has fixed
>> the bugs Outcome triggers in GCC 6).
>>
> 
> Hi Niall - This is a bit confusing. It sounds like gcc 6 or greater is
> needed. I can't think of a situation where ICE'ng the compiler is
> considered working.

It depends on how you use Outcome in your code.

The compiler versions listed at
https://ned14.github.io/boost.outcome/prerequisites.html are where
Outcome passes all its unit tests clean. You can definitely write a lot
of code using Outcome which doesn't ICE the compiler.

However I also know from AFIO v2, which makes very extensive use of
Outcome, that it blows up older compilers in all sorts of fun ways. If I
took the time, I could rewrite how AFIO uses Outcome to not ICE the
older compilers. But given how alpha AFIO v2 is, it's just easier to
bump the compiler version needed for that library to a non-broken
compiler version.

That's my observation. I am not sure how to exactly document this
informal experience in Outcome's docs. After all, it's the compiler
vendors' fault, not Outcome's.

Niall

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