Subject: Re: [boost] [Review] UUID library (mini-)review starts today, November 23rd
From: Vladimir Batov (batov_at_[hidden])
Date: 2008-12-03 02:42:50
> ...
> All in all my impression of the *current* situation with the proposal is
> that at *present* we have many useful and promising bits and pieces lying
> around. I see good ideas. I see good suggestions. I fail to see the
> product. It surely is a good start but to me we have not reached the
> destination yet. I'd be more comfortable after I see those bits and pieces
> taking shape. For me that shape primarily would be the interface and the
> documentation -- the initial pieces of the contract between the user and
> the implementor. Once both parties are happy with the contract, you'll
> beaver away providing the content/implementation.
Now that I looked at the code once again, I think I'd like to take back the "bits and pieces lying around" bit (as it feels plain wrong and I think I need better glasses to see things the first time around :-)). In fact, I feel that all the pieces are more/less in place and I'll be very much in content if I see something along the following lines:
namespace boost {
class uuid
{
struct time_generator;
struct random_generator;
struct best_generator;
template<class Generator>
uuid(Generator const&) {...}
or
template<class Generator>
uuid(Generator const& =best_generator()) {...}
static uuid null() { ... }
typedef void (base::*bool_type)();
void internal_bool() {};
operator bool_type() const { return *this == null() ? 0 : &base::internal_bool; }
...
};
struct uuid::time_generator { ... };
struct uuid::random_generator { ... };
struct uuid::best_generator { ... };
} // boost
Replacing is_null() with the implicit "bool" converter is not a syntactic sugar. It's very much idiomatic along the same lines as "a + b" is better than "a.add(b)".
I'd probably look at deploying Boost.Range functionality as I see many constructors working with ranges.
With that caveat I think I am all willing to abandon my original (a very lonely BTW) position and run over to the happy 'yes' campers.
Thanks,
Vladimir.