Re: [Boost-users] smaller / decoupled `filesystem' module?

Subject: Re: [Boost-users] smaller / decoupled `filesystem' module?
From: Emil Dotchevski (emildotchevski_at_[hidden])
Date: 2009-04-08 13:45:18

On Wed, Apr 8, 2009 at 1:51 AM, Anton Daneyko <self_at_[hidden]> wrote:
>
> On Tue, Apr 7, 2009 at 8:27 PM, tom fogal <tfogal_at_[hidden]> wrote:
>>
>> Upon build, it seemed to
>> require some additional boost headers, so I added them; goto 10.
>
> There's an utility called bcp to extract particluar pieces of boost
> (http://www.boost.org/doc/libs/1_38_0/tools/bcp/bcp.html).
> boost-root-dir$ bcp filesystem /destination_directory
> will copy all the dependencies you need.
>
>> This is a minor part of the application we're writing, so I can't
>> really justify the size.
>
> I won't give you any answer, it's just my blah-blah:
> I had a similar problem when I wanted to use boost program options -- the
> guys I was working with told me that it's just rediculous to pull such a
> load of code that exceeds or own code base by an order of magnitude. My
> point here that couple of dozens megs of boost code in your repository does
> not harm anyone. Okay, it's big, but who cares? So what? We now have plenty
> of space -- the space is not a problem per se -- our perception is the
> problem. What is the real show stoppage here, except someone's dim
> unconscious feelings? Anyway I was never persuasive enough -- they forced me
> to reinvent the wheel and do stuff by our own hands.
>
> So in your case, like Konstantin Litvinenko (I suspect) tried to point out,
> there is no reason to stop yourself from using boost::filesystem.

Why not pull in the entire Boost then? It certainly wouldn't hurt, would it? :)

I think that the request to keep coupling in boost::filesystem in
check is valid. The fact that bcp exists means that many people are
interested in acquiring just a part of Boost, which also implies that
they don't want to depend on a lot of code. Your might be correct in
your analysis, but without knowing enough details about each use case,
you are only speculating.

Emil Dotchevski
Reverge Studios, Inc.
http://www.revergestudios.com/reblog/index.php?n=ReCode