[Boost-users] Re: MPL Library

From: Edward Diener (eddielee_at_[hidden])
Date: 2004-10-27 16:39:41

Cromwell Enage wrote:
> Hello, there!
>
> --- Edward Diener <eddielee_at_[hidden]> wrote:
>> I have bit the bullet and am attempting to get my
>> head around the MPL library.  I realize there is a
>> book out by Messieurs Abrahams and Gurtovoy, I
>> believe, but I thought I would tackle the boost
>> documentation first.  A few questions:
>>
>> 1) Is the documentation up to date?
>
> Not yet.
>
>> 2) There are three separate documents to study, it
>> seems, all giving information about the MPL library,
>> a white paper circa 2002, a reference, and a
>> mini-tutorial.  Is the information in these in sync
>> with each other?
>
> Not yet.  The differences between the MPL version
> described in the white paper and the new one described
> in the reference are summarized at
> <http://www.mywikinet.com/mpl/mpl_1_32_changelog.html>.
>
>> The reason I ask is that the white
>> paper/mini-tutorial mentions if_<> and apply_if<>
> but
>> the reference does not mention them at all.  Are
> they
>> just understood intrinsic metafunctions that need no
>> reference, or what?
>
> The reference itself is not yet finished.  The white
> paper will stand you in good stead wrt these two
> metafunctions, as long as you replace all instances of
> apply_if with eval_if, as per the changelog.
>
>> 3) A number of the topics in the reference
>> documentation mentioned in generalized overviews of
>> the various sections have no specific links.  Does
>> this mean that they were never implemented?  Seems
>> dubious in a number of cases.
>
> Mostly it's as I said above: unfinished reference
> docs.  However, I'm trying to help out with at least
> one topic--rational constants--that is not yet
> implemented.
>
>> I would seriously like to figure out how MPL works
>> and play around with it, but I feel stymied with
> what
>> is in the boost docs.
>
> Yeah, most of the knowledge I've acquired about MPL so
> far came from studying the headers and playing with
> the various metafunctions.  Right now I'm treating the
> boost docs as supplemental aids.
>
> Let me know how I can help further!

Thanks for your offer of help. I am going to wait until Mr. Gurtovoy has
finished updating the docs until I tackle learning and using the library.
When I do, and post any questions on usage here, if you see them and can
help me out with your experience, it will be greatly appreciated.