vicente.botet wrote:
----- Original Message ----- From: "Robert Ramey" <ramey@rrsd.com> To: <boost-users@lists.boost.org> Cc: <boost@lists.boost.org> Sent: Saturday, November 22, 2008 9:19 PM Subject: Re: [Boost-users] Maintenace Guidelines wiki page
This is a laudable effort,
Thanks.
but my guess is that it's doomed to failure.
My own take on this was posted in http://lists.boost.org/Archives/boost/2008/07/139893.php
I remember your participation and your point of view on this long thread.
So far, no one else has endorsed such a pledge. Indeed, the responses suggested that the breaking interfaces was a normal, acceptable and unavoidable practice.
I don't think this is the case. Breaking changes should be exceptional and taken because there is no better solution. I think that most of the Boost authors respect that. As every rule this one has its exceptions, there has been some library evolution that have break user and even Boost library code. This is regretable and we need to setup whatever is needed to make this exceptions more than exceptional.
Well that's my view. But my point is that its not as widely shared as it I would hope.
I really think that *we can* achieve this goal.
I would say 'we COULD' achieve this goal - if there was a true desire to do so.
Your "Maintainence Guidlines" presume a consensus about what should be acceptable practice where no such consensus actually exists.
Which acceptable practice are you referring to for which there is no consensus?
My view is that it is good practice to consider breaking an interface should be considered a bug. The responses to the posting cited above, indicate to me that there is no consensus to support this view point.
As a practical matter what do I do.
<snip> ...
I hope that you are not proposing that to the end users. Are you?
I am. Because they really have no other choice. It's not that I choose to do this, its that I feel I have no other choice. I have projects out in the field which are in use after more than a decade. If I didn't do this, I would be spending all my time just keeping things running and I can't do that.
Please could you participate in the elaboration of this guidelines,
Basically, the guidelines are fine The guidelines for authors should be separated from those for users. For users, "don't use "using" " could be part of a larger list of suggestions for getting the most benefit from the libraries. As I said, a laudable effort, I hope it helps. Robert Ramey
your opinion is very important to the Boost community. LOL