From: Greg Colvin (gcolvin_at_[hidden])
Date: 1999-12-21 21:54:49
From: Mitch Adler <mitch_at_[hidden]>
> Paul Moore (gustav_at_[hidden]) on or about 12/19/99 10:25 AM
> wrote:
>
> >Anyone who uses a using-directive takes responsibility for avoiding clashes.
> >Documenting names lets us say "I told you so" :-)
>
> I think Documenting isn't good enough in this case.
>
> ::boost is an open-ended library.
>
> That is, things can be added.
So is Boost different from any other library in this respect?
> Therefore, all names may, at some future date, occur in ::boost.
>
> Therefore there is no way to avoid potential collision with names in
> ::boost.
Sure there is. Don't use using-directives.
> In practice, all names will not be used in ::boost, but unless we can
> define the set of names that will be used and document them, it is far
> better to tell people that 'using namespace ::boost' is the road to
> collisions, incompaibility and nightmares.
Yep. As is 'using namespace ::anything_else_you_can_name'.