Re: [boost] libs/sync?

Subject: Re: [boost] libs/sync?
From: Andrey Semashev (andrey.semashev_at_[hidden])
Date: 2017-08-04 08:43:46

On 08/04/17 11:26, Peter Dimov via Boost wrote:
> Andrey Semashev wrote:
>> On 08/04/17 03:28, Peter Dimov via Boost wrote:
>> > We have a submodule libs/sync on the develop branch that isn't on > 
>> master. What's its fate? Is it going to become a released library at > 
>> some point, or should we remove it?
>>
>> I sure hope to get it released at some point. The work on it has 
>> stalled some time ago, but I'm not giving up on it. For example, I 
>> recently updated Boost.Atomic with features for Boost.Sync.
>>
>> The current state of Boost.Sync is that it is missing docs, some 
>> Windows code needs updating with new features from Boost.Atomic and I 
>> think the code related to time units needed updating too (I can't 
>> remember the details now).
> 
> We should probably remove it as a submodule then, while still keeping 
> the repo. At some point, when ready, it will probably have to undergo a 
> review of some form.

Well, the benefit of having it as a submodule is that it is getting 
tested. But if it poses a problem, sure, we can remove it.

> Since we're on the topic, would you please remind me what was the 
> purpose of the library? I remember that it was an offshoot of 
> Boost.Thread, but no more than that.

Basically, yes. The library is a collection of low level synchronization 
primitives, such as mutexes, events, semaphores, etc. Most of it is more 
lightweight and header-only, unlike Boost.Thread, so if you only need 
synchronization stuff you don't need to link with a library. Boost.Sync 
also aims to be agnostic to a timing library and should work equally 
well with std::chrono, Boost.Chrono and Boost.DateTime. Also, Boost.Sync 
offers some primitives that are not in Boost.Thread.