Re: [Boost-users] Debug data structures using aligned storage

From: Anne-Gert Bultena (list-aap_at_[hidden])
Date: 2006-06-19 07:47:10

> Variant isn't the only data structure where the actual type stored is
> not known at compile time and therefore unavailable to the debugger to
> show to the user. You yourself pointed out the others. Every good
> programmer of which I know is cognizant of the technique of casting the
> variable or memory area, from within a debugger, to the actual type so
> that the debugger shows the value. Are you saying it should be up to
> Boost to tell the programmer about this technique ? I am not saying it
> might not be helpful, but I do not think it belongs in the documentation
> as a general rule since the technique is universal to other similar
> situations, and not to just one or two Boost libraries.

I agree that it should not be in the Boost documentation. However it *is* something to know and
everybody has learnt it at a particular moment. It's one of those tips.
Especially for 'difficult' (like templated) datastructures, I can image the number of trees hiding
the forrest can be very large. To be short: the boost website could have pointers to good related
sites (like for debugging) or have a couple of pages of its own that handle these Tips 'n' Tricks.
(PS: I'm fairly new to Boost too, so my appologies if my terminology is off.)

agb