Re: [Boost-users] [serialisation]Portable Binary Archives

From: Robert Ramey (ramey_at_[hidden])
Date: 2007-06-27 11:44:03

Johan Råde wrote:
> Cliff Green wrote:

> Last fall I wrote a library with portable fpclassify, isnan, signbit
> etc.
> (It is available in the vault in the Math - Numerics folder.)
> Several Boosters tested the library with more than 20 different
> OS / compiler / processor combinations.

This is something that is really needed in boost.  Could you
possibly:

a) make a small boost library for this which would include
i) code (hopefully header only?)
ii) tests
iii) documentation

and ask for a mini-review.

b) enhance the portable binary archive to take advantage
of your code.

c) enhance the serialization documentation to explain
that portable binary archive.

I realize that although each of these steps isn't all that large,  taken
together they do add up to a non-trivial amount of work.  In order
to compensate with you'll get.

a) a tiny increment in one man's quest (yours) for immortality.
b) a very nice addition to your resume.
c) the satisfaction of knowing that your work has passed muster
with what might be the pickiest group of programmers in the
known universe.
d) the satisfaction of knowing that your code is probably a
key piece a perhaps thousands of applications.

I know its not much, but its the best I can offer.

> This experience taught me a lot about portable handling of floating
> point numbers.

Which will bring its own curse.  In the course of going through even
a mini-review, you'll have to spend a lot of time with people who
"know" a lot more than you do.  Good Luck.

Robert Ramey

>
> --Johan Råde