[C++-sig] Pyste/Pyplusplus/Boost documentation problems

[Roman Yakovenko]

On 1/17/06, David Abrahams <dave at boost-consulting.com> wrote:
> > That would be inadvisable. The best thing is for pyste users to
> > regenerate their config files from scratch as pyplusplus uses quite a
> > different configuration model (nowhere near as easy, but considerably
> > more powerful).
>
> I disagree.  If you're going to use a wrapper generator, it should be
> as easy as possible.  If Pyste has a reasonably terse, expressive
> input syntax that matches the user's mental model (something I
> encouraged Bruno to develop and that Roman could have learned from),
> then pyplusplus should use it or improve on it.
> To do otherwise would
> be inconsistent with the design spirit and aims of Boost.Python.
> There's no reason a lower-level interface couldn't be available, too,
> if necessary.

Using pyplusplus it is possible to implement Pyste interface files. But
1. I can not find open source projects, that use Pyste, except  TnFOX.
This is the main
    reason why I still did not implement Pyste interface files.

2. For small projects pyplusplus has GUI - small, simple and intuitive.

3. For big projects interface files does not help, you need low level API.

I did not find any post regardless "Boost.Python user's mental model".
It would be nice to read and learn. If you mean this: "... The
library's use of advanced metaprogramming techniques simplifies its
syntax for users, so that wrapping code takes on the look of a kind of
declarative interface definition language (IDL). ..."
In this case I can say that we deal with 2 different tasks: code
generation and actual bindings. They are so different.

I studied the use of Pyste in TnFOX project.
You need to see all tricks that TnFOX project use in order to generate
code, using
Pyste. More over Niall wrote script, that generates Pyste interface
files, that will generate
the code.

The rational behind pyplusplus is simple: every big project has
logical design ( namespaces, classes ) and physical design( location
of files on a disk ). pyplusplus
helps developers to reuse existing conventions ( logical and physical design ).
I don't say it is impossible to do this with ( not so simple )
interface files, but I do not
see any reason to go this way.

> --
> Dave Abrahams
> Boost Consulting
> www.boost-consulting.com


Roman Yakovenko