Re: [boost] [sort] Timsort review result

Subject: Re: [boost] [sort] Timsort review result
From: Paul A. Bristow (pbristow_at_[hidden])
Date: 2017-06-21 09:52:31

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Boost [mailto:boost-bounces_at_[hidden]] On Behalf Of Steven Ross via Boost
> Sent: 13 June 2017 12:09
> To: boost_at_[hidden]
> Cc: Steven Ross
> Subject: [boost] [sort] Timsort review result
> 
> After reviewing the responses, I have rejected Timsort.  Here are the
> reasons:
> 
>    1. No author/maintainer responses to the questions on boost (except for
>    forwarding some documentation links).  We need a maintainer for all our
>    source, and I'm not volunteering to maintain new functions as complex as
>    Timsort.
>    2. There was no response on the Timsort bug reported during the review,
>    nor any tests for it.

Disappointing but agree with your judgement - a commitment to maintenance is vital, no matter how perfect the code ;-)

>    3. We need better tests.
>    4. Francisco is including a more efficient stable sort as part of his
>    additions to the library, including handling special cases like Timsort
>    handles better than stable_sort does.  Francisco will maintain his code.

:-)

> With regards to future sorting library reviews, I'll get at least a
> one-page doc describing the algorithm for the review in advance, but the
> boost documentation formatting is an unreasonable request for a simple
> sorting function, and I don't see the value it adds for these simple
> reviews.  It is useful for a full library, but we'll be integrating the
> documentation into our full library after a new function is accepted.

That sounds fine to me - it was the total lack of docs that wasn't OK.
 
> It isn't accurate to call it a mini-review (as described here:
> http://www.boost.org/community/reviews.html#Fast-Track)  because it's
> reviewing completely new source we're talking about adding to the library.
> That said, do you still want me to a call the upcoming one for pdqsort a
> "mini-review"?

FWIW, and not wanting to go all legalistic, I think pdqsort does qualify - provided the Review Wizard says it does ;-)

Paul

---
Paul A. Bristow
Prizet Farmhouse
Kendal UK LA8 8AB
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