Hi Gents,

	Brian Lasiuk sent this to me to ask my opinion about what C++
class libraries he should use in re-writing the TPC simulators.  I just
thought I would open this up to those in the group with more intimate
knowlege on this than myself...

	Commenting on your document (attached):  CLHEP is certainly more
than an STL.  If you want to use its features, it is clear that you
understand that you will have to accept its baggage.  Using it for its
STL-like parts is certainly not (as you are aware) worth it either.  But
let me say a few comments about STL... 

	We have investigated essentially two 3rd party STL libraries.  One
by Rogue-Wave (commercial) and another by Object Space (free).  There may
have been others considered, but by the time I heard about it, these two
were the only ones left.  Getting this far required that we could get
source codes.  At this point we seem to be going toward Rogue-Wave.  The
above is strictly factual, so far as I know...

	Now begins my own opinion.  I do not believe that there is a
significant performance difference between the two, but the fact that
Rogue-Wave also has Threads.h++, Net.h++, and Inter.Net.h++ (in addition
to Tools.h++) has precipitated our move toward Rogue-Wave.  That being
said, some of us are still using O-Space, and might concievably continue
to do so.

	Back to your document...  I think your last paragraph sums it up
quite well.  I particularly agree with the idea of keeping the
Hist/Geometry/Random wrappers, and of discarding the Units class for one
which is better implemented.  You are probably aware that much debate has
occurred recently within STAR about defining FORTRAN/C (and C++?) header
files with useful physical constants, and the Units class is just an
afternoon's programming away...

	Finally, I don't think I have ever seen a list of references
quoted in URL format.  Impressive.


	Other members of Online Core should feel free to correct me where
I have mis-stated or add their own input on this issue.


Best of luck acquiring consensus,
	Nathan.

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 | Nathan T. B. Stone                          STAR Group              |
 | email: NTBStone@BNL.GOV                     Building 510A           |
 |    ph: (516) 344-3250                       Physics Department, BNL |
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