Re: What is this "Beman Project Development" exactly

From: Peter Dimov (pdimov_at_[hidden])
Date: 2024-05-09 13:28:55

Boris Kolpackov wrote:
> Seems very different to me: the Beman Project appears to be focused on
> libraries aiming at being included into the C++ Standard Library. This means
> they don't have to worry about any of the Boost baggage:
> 
> 1. They can track the latest standard (since by definition such libraries
>    will only be usable with later standards). Maybe they can even go
>    straight to modules.

If they want to be merely a repository for reference implementations of
standard proposals, yes.

But the second a library acquires actual users, it also starts acquiring
compiler workarounds.

> 2. Not worry about build systems and package managers (they can live in
>    the blissful world of C++ that has a standard package manager, it just
>    has one giant package that gets a new version every three years).

They do have to worry about build systems if they want their libraries to
actually build. They'll be using CMake for that from what I can tell.

The situation with the package managers is similar - if their libraries
become actually usable, package managers will start packaging them.

> 3. Not worry about Boost reputation of being bloated, monolithic, and
>    heavily intra-dependent.

Every step of Boost's evolution happened for a reason, and these reasons
don't magically disappear when you fork it.

Again, the second a library becomes actually useful, other libraries would
want to start using it.

You could extend this list with (4), (5), and (6), and the responses to each
of these points will be very similar to the above.