It seems quite clear from the Boost.Compatbility rationale that extensions to the C++ standard library do not belong in it.
"This library provides workarounds which allow the other Boost libraries to be used on otherwise non-conforming platforms. We hope that it will be possible to remove this library at some time in the future as standard library suppliers become more conforming." Since the stated purpose of the library is provide compatibility with the standard, if the above stated purpose is in fact correct, then there is no place for extensions to the standard library in it, especially considering the note about the hope to eventually eliminate the library. Boost IS an extension to the standard library. In addition, I see no particular advantage in even using compiler-provided implementations (when available) of extensions when it is the intent for boost to provide an implementation of that extension. On a different note, there should be a hash table/hash library in boost with the same interface as the SGI STL hashtable, hash_map, hash_set, hash_multimap classes. Although a hash table library with a policy-based addressing scheme (i.e. separate chaining policy, open addressing (with various probing algorithms)) might be useful, after some thought I have decided that the added complexity and more cumbersome interface as well as probable reduced compiler support would outweigh any advantages, and therefore it would be reasonable to support only separate chaining. In addition, providing (in separate, optional header files) hash functions for primitive types and standard library containers as specializations of a template class (named 'hash,' for example) would be very useful. - Jeremy Maitin-Shepard _______________________________________________ Unsubscribe & other changes: http://lists.boost.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/boost