[Boost-users] any advantage of using property_map over std::map

From: Abir Basak (abirbasak_at_[hidden])
Date: 2008-04-10 02:50:53

Though it is a stupid question,
  is there any advantage i will get if i use boost property_map instead of
std::map for my name value property pairs ?
 I am working for a statistical system, where i have certain parameter names
(20-50 names at max) mostly fixed defined in terms of compile time constants
(enums) but sometimes are from a variable set, and values which changes
during adaptation (a small statistical distribution struct contains mean &
sigma usually).

so far i have used things like,
enum height{
class1, class2,class3};
struct dist{
  float mean;
  float sigma;
};
typedef std::map<height,dist> height_prop;
( i also thought of having a compile time lookup based on a lookup table,
but not sure if that is worth esp when search is among small no of elements)

and similarly other properties.
so will i get any benefit using boost::property_map instead of std::map (or
unordered_map ) .
in future i may want these properties to be associated with a Boost graph
node & edge.

thanks
abir