[Boost-users] [c++now] Perhaps of interest to Boost library users

Subject: [Boost-users] [c++now] Perhaps of interest to Boost library users
From: Niall Douglas (s_sourceforge_at_[hidden])
Date: 2015-05-02 23:41:33

https://plus.google.com/+nialldouglas/posts/DsAdUV4RgY5

Content of post for convenience:

Just finished my C++ Now 2015 presentation with exactly one week to 
go! Currently 90 slides for a 90 minute long presentation, I had 
originally been worried I'd be boring but I think, even if I do say 
so myself, that this will be one of the more interesting talks at C++ 
Now this year. It reviews *ten* C++ 11/14 only libraries close to 
entering Boost, three of which in detail (Boost.AFIO, Boost.Fiber, 
Boost.DI) and one in very great detail (Boost.APIBind), indeed I 
spend about 45 slides on APIBind as I believe it provides the 
foundation stone for a fully modular C++ 11 only Boost 2.0 branch 
with very significant improvements over Boost 1.0. I also draw some 
sweeping personal general opinions from the ten library review, and 
I'll try to answer these questions:

* Why do these libraries require C++ 11 or 14? From an end user 
perspective.

* Is there a common theme of the most popular C++ 11/14 features 
used?

* Is there a common theme in choice of library design and use of 
third party libraries?

* Are there techniques used in one library which would make a lot of 
sense to be used in another library, but for some reason are not?

* Do these new libraries take notice of one another and integrate 
themselves well with other libraries, or are they ivory towers?

* How many of these forthcoming libraries explicitly seek to 
contribute to future C++ standardization?

Boost only a few years ago was in a state of sickly malaise after the 
exit of several big names who had dominated it since its inception. 
Indeed, in 2013 no new libraries had entered in two years, and nobody 
could say if Boost was going to be the venue for the next generation 
of C++ 11/14 libraries approaching standardisation or whether some 
other venue (especially WG21 itself) would take over.

Since 2013 *seventeen* new libraries have either entered Boost or 
entered the formal review queue, almost a third of which are C++ 
11/14 mandatory libraries, whilst WG21's efforts to invent new 
libraries have not panned out well to date. Traffic on the Boost 
mailing lists which had become anaemic has once again returned to 
mass-delete-without-reading levels. It looks like Boost is going to 
remain the place to be for the highest quality C++ libraries, 
especially those intended for eventual standardisation.

The big question is whether the C++ 11/14 mandatory libraries are so 
different from the 98/03 libraries in design and philosophy that a 
C++ 11/14 only Boost 2.0 distribution is warranted? Robert Ramey will 
be presenting on his vision for Boost 2.0 at C++ Now 2015, and he 
kindly has allowed me to add my ha'pennies worth after he finishes 
during which I will summarise my empirical findings from the ten 
library review. So watch out for the recorded videos!

-- 
ned Productions Limited Consulting
http://www.nedproductions.biz/ 
http://ie.linkedin.com/in/nialldouglas/