From: George A. Heintzelman (georgeh_at_[hidden])
Date: 2002-10-29 11:33:52
Peter Dimov wrote:
> > I understood that the idea of Koenig lookup
> > was to allow me to use those kinds of short names without having to say
> > myprefix_shortname(iterator) every time.
>
> No, the idea of Koenig lookup is to let unqualified calls work. It doesn't
> allow shorter names.
But one of the points of namespaces is so that I can use shorter
(though still descriptive, in context) names without causing clashes.
Koenig lookup was to help make namespaces work better to encapsulate
interfaces. Seems to me they ought to work together. If we can't make
it work, okay, but it seems to me we can.
> When you introduce a function 'type' that is intended to take advantage of
> ADL, you are effectively claiming ownership on the name 'type' in all
> reachable namespaces.
Yes, this is so. The question is, what should the set of reachable
namespaces be? Do we really want deriving from boost::noncopyable to
pull in the whole of boost's interface? That's really what I'm arguing
against in the end.
> You could argue that those reachable namespaces should
> change to not include 'type', but the typical approach is to fix the problem
> on your end.
So you're suggesting that because someone derives from one of these
boost utility classes, we've now effectively put the entire boost
namespace off-limits for use by arg-dependent lookup in the boost
user's namespaces? Because if I'm claiming ownership of the name for
that use in my namespace, so equally is boost implicitly claiming
ownership of that name for arg-dependent lookup -- its use, even though
not intended to be arg-dependent, prevents anyone else's.
Since these boost classes are _intended_ to be derived from, this seems
wrong to me. And it's not that hard to backwards-compatibly fix on
boost's end, by moving the base classes down into included
sub-namespaces which encapsulate those classes' intended interfaces.
Moreso since library code IMHO should be more careful about
unnecessarily imposing restrictions on user code.
George Heintzelman
georgeh_at_[hidden]