Re: [boost] Recommend dropping test coverage on msvc-7.1 and msvc-8.0

Subject: Re: [boost] Recommend dropping test coverage on msvc-7.1 and msvc-8.0
From: James E. King, III (jking_at_[hidden])
Date: 2017-10-14 16:39:06

On Sat, Oct 14, 2017 at 12:33 PM, Robert Ramey via Boost <
boost_at_[hidden]> wrote:

> On 10/14/17 8:37 AM, Vinnie Falco via Boost wrote:
>
>> On Sat, Oct 14, 2017 at 8:33 AM, Robert Ramey via Boost
>>
>
> Not completely related but I have observed that while Boost has
>> amazing facilities for introducing new libraries (the formal review
>> process)
>>
>
> there is nothing for gracefully retiring old libraries. Or
>>
> I have a solution to this - as described part of my boost 2.0 talk.  But
> the world isn't ready for me to start flogging it yet.
>
> for that matter old toolchains.
>>
>
> My point is that selection of toolchains to support and test is upto the
> library maintainer.  There is not communal agreement necessary.
>
>
That would be far too confusing to consumers of the boost library set.
Each release of the boost library set should have a standard set of
compilers that are tested.
If maintainers of each library want to support more compilers, that is
acceptable and should be documented in the library docs.
If maintainers of each library want to support less compilers, that would
not be acceptable.
In terms of potentially dropping msvc-7.1, my original suggestion was for
the next whole release cycle.

- Jim