[Boost-users] [Containers Review Result] Boost.Containers is accepted into Boost.

Subject: [Boost-users] [Containers Review Result] Boost.Containers is accepted into Boost.
From: John Maddock (boost.regex_at_[hidden])
Date: 2011-08-22 12:09:59

This is to announce that the Containers library by Ion Gaztanaga has been 
accepted into Boost.

There were 11 positive reviews and one negative, many making the same points 
(see summary below).  Acceptance is therefore conditional on Ion improving 
the documentation as the reviewers requested.

Review comments summary:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

* Needs a better introduction/overview/tutorial in the docs:
 # what are stateful allocators, what's currently supported in this area, 
how is it supported, does it have performance implications.
 # Needs overview of the new containers - stable_vector, flat_* etc.
 # Needs description of recursive containers and why this library supports 
them but not C++03 containers.
 # Needs to justify why this library and not the std one (probably by 
mention of the above).
* Make clear in the docs (if not already) what the default allocator is.
* Make allocator template parameter name consistent.
* Add basic_string::shrink_to_fit member function (from C++11).
* Typo in range insertion docs (first/last vs i/j)
* vector<bool> behavior needs to be documented (and justified either which 
way).
* Need to document conformance to C++0x container requirements, plus use (or 
not) of new C++0x features such as std::allocator_traits.
* Missing documentation for some deque member functions.
* Missing Returns/Effects,Complexity or Throws. (ex: after No.23 in 
basic_string)
* The "Acknowledgements" page is currently empty.  There are various (c) 
notices in the source referring to sources from which parts of the
code may have come.  This page should clarify these sources, including any 
cases where the original code has now all been replaced, and assert that the 
licenses are all in order.  It should also point out the history of the code 
in Boost, i.e. that parts were previously in Boost.Interprocess, so that 
anyone with previous exposure to the Interprocess containers is not 
confused.
* There are some comments that the organisation of the docs makes it 
unnecessarily hard to jump directly to the info you want.

Requests for additional features:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

* Consider implementing std::forward_list from C++0x.
* Consider Boost.Range interoperability and/or range insert support.
* Make the flat_* containers container adapters - so that a) the user can 
choose the underlying implementation and b) they can shoot themselves in the 
foot if they want to by manipulating the underlying container (mostly for 
efficient loading of data).  Alternatively, provide some other interface 
enhancements to try to meet most of the use cases given.
* Efficient construction of ordered containers from already sorted data.
* Investigate Clang's Libc++ std lib performance tests.

John Maddock
Containers review manager.

PS: Ion: if you need any help with quickbook/docbook and AutoIndex ping me 
and I'll see what I can do to help - there are all sorts of parameters that 
can be used to tweak the appearance etc.