Re: Late review of Boost.Parser

From: Zach Laine (whatwasthataddress_at_[hidden])
Date: 2024-03-02 02:57:48

On Fri, Mar 1, 2024 at 12:03 PM David Sankel via Boost
<boost_at_[hidden]> wrote:
>
> On Fri, Mar 1, 2024 at 12:38 PM David Sankel <camior_at_[hidden]> wrote:
>
> > On Fri, Mar 1, 2024 at 12:04 PM Christian Mazakas via Boost <
> > boost_at_[hidden]> wrote:
> >
> >> > Parser combinator libraries have progressed a lot since then and, having
> >> > used both styles extensively, I'm much more eager to pick up one of the
> >> > more modern designs.  I would expect a Boost library to reflect the
> >> state
> >> > of the art not only in language features used, but also in API design
> >> for
> >> > the domain.
> >>
> >>
> > The thing about Haskell is that it's had time to gain ground but it just
> >> hasn't
> >> because people aren't interested in it.
> >
> >
> > This isn't relevant.
> >
>
> There's one more thing I'd like to point out. A GitHub code search for
> "#include <boost/spirit" in C++ files results in 31.5k files. Another
> search for "import Text.Parsec" in Haskell files results in 17.5k files.
> This is telling given C++ developers outnumber Haskell developers 11 to 1.
>
> - StackOverflow developer survey data on language poplarity (
> https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey)
> - GitHub code search for Boost.Spirit (
> https://github.com/search?type=code&auto_enroll=true&q=%22%23include+%3Cboost%2Fspirit%22+%28path%3A*.cpp+OR+path%3A*.h+OR+path%3A*.hpp%29
> )
> - GitHub code search for Parsec (
> https://github.com/search?type=code&auto_enroll=true&q=%22import+Text.Parsec%22+path%3A*.hs
> )

A lot of C++ programmers use Spirit.  A lot of Haskell programmers use
Parsec.  Even if it's way more that use Parsec proportionally, so
what?  I'm not sure what I'm supposed to take away from this other
than, "Different languages have different modalities."

This doesn't speak to the issue at hand -- which one's essential
design makes a better C++ (and in particular, Boost) library?

Zach