pt., 12 wrz 2025 o 08:46 Julien Blanc via Boost <boost@lists.boost.org> napisał(a):
Le 2025-09-11 16:33, Vinnie Falco via Boost a écrit :
On the one hand, I think that exploring the API design space to improve and polish the interface for end users is great, so kudos for that.
However, this is exactly the sort of thing that could be done before the formal review by going out into the market and acquiring users with real-world use-cases and real-world problems who can provide the best possible feedback for changes. I think the model of writing a library direct-for-review works for certain authors (Joaquin with Bloom and Peter with Hash2 come to mind). Yet I do not think that it works in general. For example I always build up substantial users for my own libraries and the feedback ahead of the formal review has been pivotal in getting the libraries into shape. I would encourage this model going forward.
Isn't it exactly what the boost library incubator was designed for? Give visibility to a library, explicitly state it as experimental, so breakage and unstabilities are very likely to happen, and at some point when the author think it's ready, make a formal review. Why didn't it work like expected?
I think nowadays a GitHub repo is a good enough place to store a candidate library along with its documentation. The task for the author is to attract sufficient interest for their library. I have a small library that I consider proposing at some point at: https://github.com/akrzemi1/markable I would occasionally ask for feedback. But it is generally difficult to draw the expert's attention. The Boost Review process is generally a sufficiently strong incentive that experts get involved. For me this is like, "if I do not intervene at this point, the library will just get accepted", so I make sure that I drop other things in my life and find some time to contribute. In a way, I think that the Boost Review process when the rejection is interpreted as a way of iteratively improving the design is a good way forward. Regards, &rzej;