The dynamic_multi_array arrays differ from the the arrays in the Boost.MultiArray library in the same way the arrays in the Boost.Dynamic Bitset library differ from the arrays in the std::bitset library; it is dynamic vs. static. Thus the rationale behind the Dynamic Multi Array library is similar to the rationale behind Boost.Dynamic Bitset library. It complimemts the Boost.MultiArray library.

The way the Dynamic Multi Array library is implemented is different. The relationship between the components of the Dynamic Myltiarray library, for example, is different. While the coupling between multi_array and multi_array_ref the Boost.Dynamic Bitset library is almost the stongest possible, public inheritance, the relationship between dynamic_multi_array & dynamic_multi_array_ref is the weakest possible. The dynamic_multi_array_ref points to the data initialized and managed by the dynamic_multi_array and that's it. (for the details see documentation once it will become available on the vault.) There is a clear rationale behind this decision. The dynamic_multi_array component does not provide the capacity to hone in on its subviews; the dynamic_multi_array and the dynamic_subarray components do. The dynamic_multi_array is stricly an extension of std::vector into the multi dimensional enviroment. Thus a user who needs just that --- a strict extension of std::vector --- and wants to avoid the performance penalty the subview capacity would incur, he/she can use the the dynamic_multi_array component of the library alone. For those who want it all, though, the rest of the components will do the job.

Also, the Dynamic Multi Array library does not define a subview type. Instead, at a meager price of a few numeric assignment, an existing dynamic_multi_array_ref object can be parametrized to act as any subview of the same dimension of the array object it references, and still retain its iterator interface.

Also, the Dynamic Multi Array library does not define an analog of the Boost.MultiArray library index_gen facility. In analogy to std::vector whose objects can be both accessed and generated using a single integral type, the dynamic_multi_array object can be constructed and accessed using C++ arrays, boost::arrays, std::vector arrays or any other class that contains a contiguous block of integral data and has a random access interface.