Re: [Boost-users] [Review] The review of the ITL library ends today, March 7th

Subject: Re: [Boost-users] [Review] The review of the ITL library ends today, March 7th
From: Joachim Faulhaber (afojgo_at_[hidden])
Date: 2010-03-08 13:05:30

Hi Michael,

it is very rewarding for me to hear that the ITL actually helps
solving problems. Thank you for sharing your experience and for
reviewing my library!

2010/3/8 Michael Caisse <boost_at_[hidden]>:
> Hartmut Kaiser wrote:
>>
>> Hey all,
>>
>> The review of Joachim Faulhabers ITL library ends today, March 7th 2010.
>> Please get your reviews in today or get in contact with me to agree on
[...]
>
> Work just isn't going to let up for another couple weeks; however, I feel
> compelled to throw in a brief word about the ITL.
>
> My initial introduction to the library was at BoostCon09. I attended a
> session in which Joachim provided a brief introduction to the library and
> discussed some use cases. With those slides and the excellent documentation
> that had been placed into the vault with version 3.1.0 I began utilizing the
> library to implement the tracking and combining of sets of events in
> November 2009.
>
> The application was a digital video/event recording system. Approximately 30
> events per minute are captured with associated video. The system records 16
[...]
> While I don't have time to complete a full review right now I have been
> closely following the discussions concerning this library. My experience as
> a user would echo the comments of Luke and Rob encouraging free functions
> that operate on concepts.

agreed, as posted in several points during the review.

> As for implementation details resulting in
> performance improvements... my limited experience with this one use-case did
> not result in a performance problem. It did however speak toward the
> richness of the interface.

this is also very rewarding for me to hear ...

> Each time we wanted to apply a different
> operation or extract a different view of the data we found that the scenario
> had already been considered and a solution was readily available.

I have been surprised of the richness of the interface myself as it
"unfolded" in more depth during a phase of the development where I
started to formally define axioms and to check the spaces of
instantiations that they would be valid for. And there are still some
more subspaces of applicability that are obviously unused ;^}

> And now for my brief review:
>
> Starting with my "vote": Yes, the library should be accepted as part of
> Boost. In addition to the above use-case I have two other applications that
> I am eager to apply the library to. I have found that the concept of an
> interval container shows up in many of my client's domains.

I share your experience.

[...]
> - What is your evaluation of the documentation?
>
> Excellent! The documentation was enough to get me going and be successful
> with the library. I found the tutorials and examples very useful and they
> provide "food for thought" on implementing various patterns.

That's good to hear. I have put a substantial amount of effort into
those examples, as an attempt to get the various aspects and sometimes
unusual possibilities of interval containers communicated to potential
users. I am happy to hear that this has worked for you.

> - What is your evaluation of the potential usefulness of the library?
>
> I have found the library to be very useful and intend to use it on more
> projects in the very near future.
>
> - Did you try to use the library? With what compiler? Did you have any
> problems?
>
> I used the library with VC8 without issue.
>
> - How much effort did you put into your evaluation? A glance? A quick
> reading? In-depth study?
>
> I used the library within an application; however, I would not say that I
> evaluated the library "in-depth". As a user I simply "used" the library to
> implement various solutions that I needed. Documentation was consulted.
> Tests were ran for "correctness" given our use-case but no in-depth testing
> was performed.
>
> - Are you knowledgeable about the problem domain?
>
> Not particularly. I have implemented various interval type containers for
> very specific problems but not with the obvious study and energy as Joachim
> has expended.
>
>
>
> Some final notes. Thank you Joachim for sharing this well-thought library
> with the public. I wish I could have found time to produce a complete
> review. Thank you Hartmut for managing another review with such a short rest
> since your last. Hopefully your effort will result in another well-deserved
> library inclusion to the Boost family.
>

Thank you Michael :)

Best regards
Joachim