Re: [Boost-users] [Phoenix] Review: Documentation

Subject: Re: [Boost-users] [Phoenix] Review: Documentation
From: Zeljko Vrba (zvrba_at_[hidden])
Date: 2008-09-30 02:57:21

On Tue, Sep 30, 2008 at 12:30:47AM +0300, Peter Dimov wrote:
> Zeljko Vrba:
> >The best way to understand the purpose of Phoenix is, IMHO, to have some 
> >first-hand experience with a true functional programming language with 
> >type-inference and first-order functions, such as SML.
> 
> I'm not sure.
> 
> The purpose of Phoenix (and Lambda, and boost::bind) is simple: to provide 
> a concise way to create function objects. Most C++ programmers are familiar 
> with the need to write function objects and there is no need to learn SML 
> to take advantage of the basics. Many people start with just needing *_1 < 
> *_2 or bind(&X::name, _1) < bind(&X::name, _2). Some of them simply do not 
> need to go further (or aren't allowed to, by a coding standard). 
> 
Good point.  But for such simple needs, the manual is then too abstract (there
I agree with Roland).  And if all you need / are allowed to use is "simple",
another thought immediately arises: "this is the same as BLL, just with
slightly different syntax".  BLL is "a concise way to create function objects",
Phoenix is that and a lot more.  To understand the "more" part, it helps, IMHO,
to know some true FP language.