C++ PATCH: PR 20599 (1/3)

[Richard Guenther]

On 9/19/06, Doug Gregor <doug.gregor@gmail.com> wrote:
> I don't think this made it to the list...
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Doug Gregor <doug.gregor@gmail.com>
> Date: Sep 19, 2006 10:34 AM
> Subject: Re: C++ PATCH: PR 20599 (1/3)
> To: Gennaro Prota <gennaro_prota@yahoo.com>
> Cc: gcc-patches@gcc.gnu.org, libstdc++@gcc.gnu.org
>
>
> On 9/19/06, Gennaro Prota <gennaro_prota@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> >
>  On Mon, 18 Sep 2006 19:27:09 -0400, "Doug Gregor"
> >GCC could break this stale-mate by including experimental
> >implementations of these features. Then, the community at large can
> >experiment and better understand these features, finding (and fixing!)
> >problems before the ink dries on C++0x.
>
> I mostly agree without your analysis. But I think it also matters
> having a relatively long period of experimentation.
>
>  I don't think it's the length of time for experimentation, but the
> amount of time spent in aggregate. If 100 people play with the feature
> for 2-3 hours, we'll get a much better sense of its capabilities and
> limitations than if one person spends 300 hours using that feature.
> It's extremely hard to get people to download and install a new
> compiler to try out a language feature. I've found this with
> ConceptGCC: each time I give a talk or a demonstration, people would
> come up to me and say how much they want to have this feature in their
> compiler. But few... very few... actually go download the compiler to
> try it. The barrier of installing a new compiler is just to high. But
> if they could just flip a switch in their current compiler, they will
> try it.
>  Now you see why I am pushing for inclusion in a release, rather than
> on a branch. A branch just doesn't give enough exposure for us to get
> enough feedback.

In principle I agree.  But a branch is better than nothing, and once a branch
is available I promise to make packages available for (at least) SUSE through
the openSUSE buildservice so people can easily install it.

Richard.