on Sun Jul 29 2007, Edward Diener <eldiener-AT-tropicsoft.com> wrote:
I do not think that the situation I have outlined here is good for Boost from the end users perspective. The typical end user, when wanting to use a particular 3rd party library whether of Boost or otherwise, wants to know immediately, before any other action is taken, whether that library supports the compiler/version he is using.
I believe Boost should make it both much easier and always possible to determine whether a particular compiler/version can be used with a particular library in a particular version of Boost without the end user trying to use a library and, if he can not, encountering compiler errors. He may not know, even from compiler errors, whether or not the errors are his own or simply because the compiler is not supported for that library.
This is not a criticism of Boost in general and certainly not the excellent smartptr library, but instead it is an effort to get Boost to create some easier system by which end users can determine whether or not they can use a Boost library in the particular working situation in which they find themselves.
We all know it's a problem, but nobody has yet designed and implemented a solution. Perhaps you'd be willing to take up the charge? -- Dave Abrahams Boost Consulting http://www.boost-consulting.com The Astoria Seminar ==> http://www.astoriaseminar.com