Re: [Boost-users] [Serialization] How do Imake boost::serializationwork with std::shared_ptr?

JOAQUIN M. LOPEZ MUÑOZ wrote:

El 29/09/2013, a las 21:44, "Robert Ramey" escribió:

shared_pointers (boost and std) are not serializable as things stand.

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This was OK .... until now when we have a new shared_ptr to deal with. The real solution is to enhance the serialization API so that the code used for implementing boost::shared_ptr can be applied to other data types which are otherwise unserializable. Unfortunately, this is a non-trivial task which I have yet to get to.

Maybe it's time to recover archive helpers as we discussed some years ago:

http://lists.boost.org/Archives/boost/2007/09/127065.php

I won't repeat my arguments, but I think helpers were a nice general solution to implement non-trivial serialization for types with shared semantics and other, hard to crack cases.

I agree that this is the required solution. I was unhappy with your solution as it intertwined the solution into the the basic serialization code which is aready almost too complex to understand. What I would like to see is (and plan to do if I get around to it) is to generalize the current approach used to implement the serialization for boost::shared_ptr. The current code implements the "helper" idea in a way that is orthogonal to the rest of the code and doesn't require adding any new template parameters. As I said, I would like to see this generalized. This would entail adding a new facet to the API under the heading "Handling otherwise unserializable type" This would add the facilty of attaching/detaching a "helper" with the appropriate interface. Not all that hard to do and wouldn't complicate other code - but work non the less. Robert Ramey

Joaquín M López Muñoz Telefónica Digital