Re: input formatted file

From:
James Kanze <james.kanze@gmail.com>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.c++
Date:
Tue, 27 Nov 2007 02:04:43 -0800 (PST)
Message-ID:
<25e4ab53-0ddb-47a2-9185-5e91973f6294@y5g2000hsf.googlegroups.com>
On Nov 26, 4:56 pm, "Jim Langston" <tazmas...@rocketmail.com> wrote:

"James Kanze" <james.ka...@gmail.com> wrote in message


    [...]

It's interesting that you usually use both directions, however.
I've never had a case where I've needed a bi-directional
iostream, of any type. I can imagine them with fstream,
however, at least if you open the fstream in binary mode. I
can't even image a case where you would want one for a
stringstream, however. Are you using them as some sort of
temporary file? If so, why---what's the advantage compared to
simply saving the raw data in its internal format?


    template<typename T, typename F > T StrmConvert( const F from )
    {
        std::stringstream temp;
        temp << from;
        T to = T();
        temp >> to;
        return to;
    }


That's boost::lexical_cast. Which is probably what I'd use if I
ever needed it. I'll admit that I never saw the utility of
boost::lexical_cast either. And I'm rather sceptical of using
iostream inserters and extractors for this, too.

Consider something like:

    std::complex< double > z( 1.0, 0.0 ) ;
    double x = boost::lexical_cast< double >( z ) ;

The result should obviously be 1.0. Your code will return 0.0,
and boost::lexical_cast will raise some sort of exception.

IMHO, the example showcases both problems:

 -- converting a type A to a type B makes no sense in
    general---you have to define exactly what is meant, for each
    case (What should std::complex< double >( 0.0, 1.0 )
    return when converted to double?), and

 -- whatever definition you use, the >> and << won't necessarily
    do the trick.

(I wonder if this isn't some sort of larger anti-pattern:
providing a generic solution for a problem which doesn't have a
generic solution.)

--
James Kanze (GABI Software) email:james.kanze@gmail.com
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