[C++-sig] Question on the development of Boost Python

[Niall Douglas]

On 13 May 2012 at 14:31, Stefan Seefeld wrote:

> On 05/13/2012 05:18 AM, Michele De Stefano wrote:
> > I've read a recent post by Jim Bosch saying that the original
> > developers of Boost Python are not going to upgrade it for supporting
> > C++11 standard libraries.
> 
> Can you elaborate a little on what you mean by "supporting C++ 11" ?
> Specifically, in what way is it not supported right now ?

Feeding some forms of code using C++11 into BPL would cause it to 
choke.

> > So I simply would like to understand if this great library is going to
> > die or if it is kept up to date by someone else.
> 
> Implying that it is "going to die" simply because it isn't changed to
> support C++ 11 features is quite a stretch, don't you think ?

"Bitrot" is a more appropriate term.

> How many compilers exist right now that fully support C++ 11 ? And how
> many users exist who are willing to switch at this point in time ?

I've been using bits of C++11 in my own code since 2004 :) yes, they 
were all #ifdef'd out according to a compiler environment test, but I 
wrote in support for rvalue refs from the very beginning. It was 
extremely pleasing when the very first GCC to support rvalues became 
available and I could finally compile that code (needless to say, 
none of it worked as the spec had changed).

A lot of users are using small bits of C++11 in their C++. Variadic 
templates alone just make things so very much faster, and static 
assertions are a boon as is noexcept instead of throw(). I personally 
don't use the new container iteration for loop construct yet, but I 
am liking the new use of the auto keyword in the old form contaner 
iteration loop.

My point is that no one ever switches. Rather, conveniences creep in, 
and less people raise bugs when an older compiler no longer compiles. 
One day everyone is no longer targeting the old standard. It doesn't 
mean, of course, that they're targeting the new standard either :)

Niall

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