On Thu, 20 Apr 2006 09:12:21 -0700, David Abrahams wrote
"Jeff Garland" <jeff@crystalclearsoftware.com> writes:
I worry that most C++ libraries of any real importance require a level of experience that most students, even with an experienced Boost mentor to guide them, do not have.
I think that some rather well known Boosters were students (some still are) -- mostly PHD students mind you -- when they contributed a library. Julio V. is a student and has posted a particular interest in developing Boost.Process, which would be a highly useful and I think doable contribution. And if no one else wants to mentor him on this, I'll step up, but I think we should definately support this. Julio has already written quite alot about the scope, requirements, and issues for this library: http://www.crystalclearsoftware.com/cgi-bin/boost_wiki/wiki.pl?BoostProcess
I also get the impression that the pool of students interested in developing C++ libraries will be rather limited, in part because of the way CS is taught these days.
True, but we can probably only handle a few participants.
That said, we have a great many infrastructure projects that would be interesting and incredibly useful to have done -- documentation tools, website redesign, work on the build system, etc. -- and IMO some of these are likely to have a broader resonance.
Maybe we should propose both kinds of project?
For sure. Jeff