Hello, I am sure I am not doing things quite right in serializing my multiset, however I could not 'connect the dots' in the serialize documentation between serializing shared pointers and containers. Therefore, asking for help. I created a complete compilable example, that I am attaching below and the created output file. The program crashes on the last line when I am trying to load the data back in. Any help is greatly appreciated, Vlad -------------- prog start ---------------- #include <iostream> #include <fstream> #include <ostream> #include <ctime> #include <cstdlib> #include <set> #include <algorithm> #include <boost/archive/tmpdir.hpp> #include <boost/archive/text_iarchive.hpp> #include <boost/archive/text_oarchive.hpp> #include <boost/serialization/base_object.hpp> #include <boost/serialization/utility.hpp> #include <boost/serialization/list.hpp> #include <boost/serialization/assume_abstract.hpp> #include <boost/serialization/base_object.hpp> #include <boost/serialization/nvp.hpp> #include <boost/archive/tmpdir.hpp> #include <boost/archive/xml_oarchive.hpp> #include <boost/archive/xml_iarchive.hpp> #include <boost/lexical_cast.hpp> using namespace std; using namespace boost; template <typename TRow, typename TContainer=std::multiset< shared_ptr<TRow> > > struct cactivetable_t: public TContainer, private boost::noncopyable { template <typename Archive> void serialize (Archive& ar, const unsigned int version) { for (TContainer::const_iterator it=begin(); it!=end();it++) { (*it)->myserialize(ar,version); } } }; struct tRow { int a; string b; template <typename Archive> void myserialize (Archive& ar, const unsigned int version) { ar&boost::serialization::make_nvp("a", a); ar&boost::serialization::make_nvp("b", b); } }; struct randrow { shared_ptr<tRow> operator()(void) { shared_ptr<tRow> p(new tRow); p->a=rand()%100; p->b=lexical_cast<string>(p->a); return p; } }; void main (void) { cactivetable_t<tRow> mytb; shared_ptr<tRow> tmpP(new tRow); for (size_t i=0;i<10;i++) { /*note for multiset we can insert the same thing many times */ mytb.insert(tmpP); } randrow rw; generate(mytb.begin(),mytb.end(),rw); // make an archive { ofstream ofs("xyz.sxml"); assert(ofs.good()); boost::archive::xml_oarchive oa(ofs); oa<<BOOST_SERIALIZATION_NVP(mytb); }//scope to close file cout<<"finished serializing, now lets try to read back"<<endl; mytb.clear(); { // open the archive std::ifstream ifs("xyz.sxml"); assert(ifs.good()); boost::archive::xml_iarchive ia(ifs); // restore the schedule from the archive ia >> BOOST_SERIALIZATION_NVP(mytb); } cout<<"after restore tb size is: "<<mytb.size()<<endl; } -------------- prog end ------------------- -- archive xyz.sxml XML start ---- <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes" ?> <!DOCTYPE boost_serialization> <boost_serialization signature="serialization::archive" version="5"> <mytb class_id="0" tracking_level="0" version="0"> <a>41</a> <b>41</b> <a>67</a> <b>67</b> <a>34</a> <b>34</b> <a>0</a> <b>0</b> <a>69</a> <b>69</b> <a>24</a> <b>24</b> <a>78</a> <b>78</b> <a>58</a> <b>58</b> <a>62</a> <b>62</b> <a>64</a> <b>64</b> </mytb> </boost_serialization> --- archive XML end ---- -- V S P toreason@fastmail.fm -- http://www.fastmail.fm - Access all of your messages and folders wherever you are