Re: [Boost-users] question: boost::array does not have compile time checked access

From: gast128 (gast128_at_[hidden])
Date: 2005-08-04 02:51:58

me22 <me22.ca <at> gmail.com> writes:

> 
> On 03/08/05, gast128 <gast128 <at> hotmail.com> wrote:
> > Dear all,
> > 
> > I was wondering why boost::array did not offer compile time checked access 
to
> > its contents, something like a.get<1>(), a similar interface like tuple.
> > Otherwise I see not much enhancement compared to an ordinary std::vector.
> > 
> > Wkr,
> > me
> > 
> 
> boost::array is allocated on the stack like a normal array, while a
> std::vector needs to use an allocator, usually putting it on the heap.
> 
> Also, the normal usage pattern for arrays ( dynamic or otherwise ) is
> looping through them, the accesses in which cannot be compile-time
> checked.  Note, however, that operator[] does assert that the index is
> valid--which quickly caught me a bug a little while back.
> 
> - Scott McMurray

Yes I can see for myself that there are differences between boost::array and 
the vector. My point is only that one can add a compile time safe accessor to 
this array. This does not invalidate the need for a run time accessor like 
operator[]. Also this would create a big advantage over the vector. This heap 
and stack allocation stough could just be seen as implementation details.

Wkr,
me