"Andy Little" <andy@servocomm.freeserve.co.uk> writes:
"David Abrahams" wrote
We really need a section at the top of the page titled "What is Boost?" that covers something like the following:
* Boost is a collection of C++ libraries - Free for any use - Extensively peer-reviewed - Extensively Tested
I believe that http://www.boost.org/more/proposal.pdf covers this quite well.
* When you download Boost, you get the whole collection
Is this a feature or just an unexciting fact?
This is not about excitement or features. Unexciting facts are exactly what these people wanted, and were missing.
IMO this needs to go in the download section
Maybe it bears repeating there.
* There are some dependencies among libraries, but they are not tightly coupled.
Then why do you need to download the whole collection?
Because that's the way it is.
* There is a tool (bcp) for extracting the parts you want and their dependencies.
Then why is it not available at the website? You still have to download the complete libraries.
Because that's the way it is. Are these questions relevant to what should go in the What is Boost section, or are you just asking me?
FWIW I would put all this information in the download section and/or in a using boost commercially section. Knowing no better I would expect to be able to download one library at a time, so boost needs to explain thats not possible at this point.
That's what "when you download boost, you get the whole collection" means.
* Many boost libraries can be used just by putting the library collection's top directory in your #include path. Complete instructions for getting started are at: ___
This sounds like a FAQ
No, it is not a frequently asked question. In fact, it's not a question. It's one of the things people need to know up front when deciding whether to even to try Boost in the first place. "How hard will it be just to get an experience of this thing?"
* The important features of the Boost directory structure are: - boost - libs - more - tools (with rough descriptions of each)
That is probably the beginnings of a Site map isnt it?
No, the site may not reflect the Boost CVS structure forever. It's a very simple description of what people can expect to see in the decompressed archive they download.
I'd like to see some discussion of what's missing (or extra) in the list above... and a volunteer to write the introductory passage :)
Sorry that my previous post sounds like a criticism. Rene Rivera has done a great job of redesigning the main page but that is only trying to paper over the cracks job IMO .The whole boost website needs to be redesigned.
Definitely. -- Dave Abrahams Boost Consulting www.boost-consulting.com