June 2009 - Boost - lists.preview.boost.org

[#pragma once]
by Sid Sacek 18 Nov '12

18 Nov '12

I've worked with the MSVC, Sun and GCC compilers. Each one of them supports #pragma once. Is there any reason to wrap this pragma within #ifdefs? Are there any compilers out there today that don't support this #pragma? #if defined( _MSC_VER ) && ( _MSC_VER >= 1020 ) # pragma once #endif Could we change this coding pattern so that it no longer looks like MSVC is being selfish? -Sid Sacek

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[interprocess] message_queue hangs when another process dies
by Sergei Politov 03 Nov '11

03 Nov '11

Hi, I have found the following problem with message_queue on win32 (MSVC 2008 + Windows Vista). Suppose we have 2 processes, one sends messages to queue, another reads them. When reading process dies (for instance using End process) during message_queue.receive the another process hangs in send. As I found during investigation, it tries to lock interprocess mutex, but it is already locked by dead process. So this message queue instance becomes unusable. I attached the example. Steps to reproduce: 1) Start "mq.exe s" (i.e. with argument s) It outs: sender: $PID 2) Start mq.exe without arguments. It outs: receiver: $PID 0 1 2 3 4 This time sender outs: send done: 3) At this point the message queue is empty and receiver waits for messages. End it with Task Manager. 4) Enter some number in sender console and press Enter. 5) The sender hangs in message_queue.send Best Regards, Sergei

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Re: [boost] [date_time] Time zone improvements
by Rutger ter Borg 25 May '11

25 May '11

Jeff Garland wrote: > Very cool :-) One question -- is there a portable solution where a user > could deploy a files onto a Windows system or is it a Unix only solution? > I'm fine with incorporating a *nix only solution because what your > suggesting will be a nice solution for *nix platforms, but it will need to > be clear that it's not portable. I don't see why it wouldn't be possible to deploy the (big-endian) binary files to any platform. Getting it into this binary form (using zone info compiler zic) may be harder to do cross-platform, but cygwin may help here. [snip] > As the primary maintainer of Boost date-time I can say with certainty that > there is interest in this functionality -- it's long been on my todo list > and I haven't had time to get to it. You can email me privately and we > can discuss all the details of how to get your code incorporated. I'll do! Regards, Rutger

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[serialization] boost/serialization/path.hpp
by Johan Råde 21 Feb '11

21 Feb '11

There is no boost/serialization/path.hpp. I suggest the following: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #ifndef BOOST_SERIALIZATION_PATH_HPP #define BOOST_SERIALIZATION_PATH_HPP // MS compatible compilers support #pragma once #if defined(_MSC_VER) && (_MSC_VER >= 1020) #pragma once #endif #include <boost/config.hpp> #include <boost/filesystem/path.hpp> #include <boost/serialization/level.hpp> BOOST_CLASS_IMPLEMENTATION(boost::filesystem::path, boost::serialization::primitive_type) #ifndef BOOST_NO_STD_WSTRING BOOST_CLASS_IMPLEMENTATION(boost::filesystem::wpath, boost::serialization::primitive_type) #endif namespace boost { namespace serialization { template<class Archive, class String, class Traits> void serialize(Archive& ar, boost::filesystem::basic_path<String, Traits>& p, const unsigned int version) { String s; if(Archive::is_saving::value) s = p.string(); ar & boost::serialization::make_nvp("string", s); if(Archive::is_loading::value) p = s; } }} #endif //-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Comments? Any suggested improvements? --Johan Råde

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[C++0x] Emulation of scoped enums
by Beman Dawes 16 Feb '11

16 Feb '11

The improved type safety of the C++0x scoped enum feature is attractive, so I'd like to start using it as it becomes available in compilers. See http://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg21/docs/papers/2007/n2347.pdf for a description. Note that the committee changed the name from strongly typed enums to scoped enums. See the attached for a boost/detail header that provides macro wrappers that use scoped enums if available, otherwise fall back on C++03 namespaces and unscoped enums. It lets a library write: BOOST_SCOPED_ENUM_START(algae) { green, red, cyan }; BOOST_SCOPED_ENUM_END ... BOOST_SCOPED_ENUM(algae) sample( algae::red ); void func(BOOST_SCOPED_ENUM(algae)); and then a user can write: sample = algae::green; func( algae::cyan ); Comments or suggestions appreciated, --Beman // scoped_enum_emulation.hpp ---------------------------------------------------------// // Copyright Beman Dawes, 2009 // Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. // See http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt // Generates C++0x scoped enums if the feature is present, otherwise emulates C++0x // scoped enums with C++03 namespaces and enums. The Boost.Config BOOST_NO_SCOPED_ENUMS // macro is used to detect feature support. // // Caution: only the syntax is emulated; the semantics are not emulated and // the syntax emulation doesn't include being able to specify the underlying type. // // See http://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg21/docs/papers/2007/n2347.pdf for a // description of the feature. Note that the committee changed the name from // strongly typed enums to scoped enums. // // Sample usage: // // BOOST_SCOPED_ENUM_START(algae) { green, red, cyan }; BOOST_SCOPED_ENUM_END // ... // BOOST_SCOPED_ENUM(algae) sample( algae::red ); // void foo( BOOST_SCOPED_ENUM(algae) color ); // ... // sample = algae::green; // foo( algae::cyan ); #ifndef BOOST_SCOPED_ENUM_EMULATION_HPP #define BOOST_SCOPED_ENUM_EMULATION_HPP #include <boost/config.hpp> #ifndef BOOST_NO_SCOPED_ENUMS # define BOOST_SCOPED_ENUM_START(name) enum class name # define BOOST_SCOPED_ENUM_END # define BOOST_SCOPED_ENUM(name) name #else # define BOOST_SCOPED_ENUM_START(name) namespace name { enum enum_t # define BOOST_SCOPED_ENUM_END } # define BOOST_SCOPED_ENUM(name) name::enum_t #endif #endif // BOOST_SCOPED_ENUM_EMULATION_HPP

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[process] How to run test cases
by Boris 23 Jan '11

23 Jan '11

As Boost.Process 0.3 has been released it would be great if the test cases are run on various platforms. So far I've tested Boost.Process on WinXP with MSVC 9.0, Cygwin with g++ 3.4.4 and Solaris with g++ 3.4.6 and Sun C++ 5.9. To make it as easy as possible for others to run the test cases here's a short description of how to proceed. Nearly all test cases depend on a program called "helpers". This program is built first and is started by many test cases as a child process. In order to find the program "helpers" the test cases must know its location. As there is no way to get the location at runtime it is hardcoded in the file libs/process/test/misc.hpp. As the location differs depending on what compiler is used YOU MUST CHECK FIRST THE PATH IN libs/process/test/misc.hpp! Otherwise most of the test cases will fail as they look for a program "helpers" in the wrong directory. As of today only those paths are correct and have been tested which are set for Windows, Cygwin and Solaris. Only after you have checked and maybe updated the path in libs/process/test/misc.hpp you should try to build and run the test cases: WinXP/MSVC 9.0 ************** With MSVC 9.0 you only need to open the Visual Studio 2008 Command Prompt, change to the directory with the test cases and run bjam: C:\boost_1_36_0\libs\process\test> ..\..\..\bjam.exe -q Cygwin/GCC 3.4.4 **************** On Cygwin it's important to know if the Boost libraries have been built for the POSIX or Windows API. By default Boost libraries on Cygwin use the Windows API. With the Windows API the Boost.Process test cases are not passed successfully though (there are compiler errors where I'm not sure currently if they are a Boost.Process problem and how they could be fixed). If you want to run the test cases on Cygwin you must (re-)build the Boost libraries to use the POSIX API: $ cd ~/boost_1_36_0 $ ./bjam cxxflags=-DBOOST_POSIX_API Afterwards you can run the test cases: $ cd ~/boost_1_36_0/libs/process/test $ ../../../bjam cxxflags=-DBOOST_POSIX_API -q Solaris/GCC 3.4.6 ***************** At first you have to put the following line in ~/user-config.jam: using gcc : : : <linker-type>sun ; Then start building the Boost libraries: $ cd ~/boost_1_36_0 $ ./bjam --toolset=gcc cxxflags=-mcpu=ultrasparc For the test cases to be passed successfully you must update Boost.Test. Change line 624 in ~/boost_1_36_0/boost/test/impl/execution_monitor.ipp temporarily to: - , m_CHLD_action( SIGCHLD, catch_system_errors, attach_dbg, alt_stack ) + , m_CHLD_action( SIGCHLD, false, attach_dbg, alt_stack ) It is important that the second parameter is false as the signal SIGCHLD should not be handled by the execution monitor and should not be reported as an error. Afterwards the test cases can be run: $ cd ~/boost_1_36_0/libs/process/test $ ../../../bjam --toolset=gcc cxxflags=-mcpu=ultrasparc -q Solaris/Sun C++ 5.9 ******************* Build the Boost libraries with the sun toolset: $ cd ~/boost_1_36_0 $ ./bjam --toolset=sun stdlib=sun-stlport For the test cases to be passed successfully you must update Boost.Test. Change line 624 in ~/boost_1_36_0/boost/test/impl/execution_monitor.ipp temporarily to: - , m_CHLD_action( SIGCHLD, catch_system_errors, attach_dbg, alt_stack ) + , m_CHLD_action( SIGCHLD, false, attach_dbg, alt_stack ) It is important that the second parameter is false as the signal SIGCHLD should not be handled by the execution monitor and should not be reported as an error. If you run the test cases now you'll get this compiler error for one test case: "../../../boost/asio/detail/socket_ops.hpp", line 218: Error: Cannot assign void* to char*. "../../../boost/asio/detail/socket_ops.hpp", line 229: Error: Cannot assign void* to char*. "../../../boost/asio/detail/descriptor_ops.hpp", line 66: Error: Cannot assign void* to char*. "../../../boost/asio/detail/descriptor_ops.hpp", line 72: Error: Cannot assign void* to char*. The bug has been reported to the Boost.Asio mailing list. If you want to build that one test case, too, you need to fix the two files in Boost.Asio 1.36.0 yourself. All the test cases can be built and run with: $ cd ~/boost_1_36_0/libs/process/test $ ../../../bjam --toolset=sun stdlib=sun-stlport -q

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[asio] read_until -- possibly misleading documentation?
by Richard Smith 15 Apr '10

15 Apr '10

The documentation for Boost.ASIO (which is otherwise very comprehensive) says of the boost::asio::read_until set of overloads: | Read data into a streambuf until a delimiter is | encountered. <http://www.boost.org/doc/libs/1_35_0/doc/html/boost_asio/reference/read_unt…> What the function actually does is to read blocks of data into the streambuf, and stop when the delimiter is found. This means that frequently data beyond the delimiter will be read into the streambuf. (And this is elaborated in more detail on the individual function's pages, if a reader looks there.) I appreciate that this behaviour is compatible with the documentation, but someone less familiar with ASIO could easily assume that the function will read as far as the delimiter and no further. (And I have just spent a fair amount of time debugging a piece of code where the author had made this assumption.) Could we change the summary documentation to read something like: | Read data into a streambuf at least until a delimiter is | encountered. The implementation may read beyond the | delimiter, but will not block when doing so. While I'm on the subject of ASIO documentation, I can't see any documentation on whether the service_name parameters to the basic_resolver_query constructors are allowed to be port numbers (e.g. "80") or whether they have to be symbolic names (e.g. "http"). Port numbers work, at least on Linux, but it's not clear whether this is something that I should be relying on. Similarly for IPv4 and IPv6 addresses in the host_name parameter. Richard Smith

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Interest check: Boost.Mock
by Peter Bindels 26 Dec '09

26 Dec '09

Hi all, Over the past three-quarters of a year I've been working (with three friends) on a mocking framework for C++. In our vision, it would be a good complement to Boost.Test for testing classes separate from interfaces required - it would improve the ability to unit-test the classes that tie others together and that implement higher-level algorithms. It does this by creating an object that is "derived" from a given class at runtime, and replacing the functions with functions that redirect to verifying logic. The verifying logic uses basic structures to record expectations and to verify they happened. These ways of creating an object at runtime and modifying it are highly compiler dependant but remarkably portable - as it runs on at least 3 different compiler series (GCC, MSVC, EDG-based) and 5 platforms (Windows XP, Windows CE, Linux, QNX, bare platform), with few modifications. The library has been released under the name "Hippo Mocks" already. I'm interested in submitting it to Boost for three reasons. First of all, I believe that there may be obvious or very interesting optimizations or expansions I do not notice. Second, as Christian has elaborated on already, having the Boost tag on the project makes it more noticed and more used. As it has taken quite a bit of time from me already I would like people to use it. Third, Boost.Test allows testing code but does not support mocking. In the environment of unit testing, anything that is not a base library benefits from mocking by abstracting away details that are irrelevant and that will break your test unnecessarily. For Boost the main changes would be superficial in the naming and in using more default libraries instead of a new implementation. For Hippo Mocks I've decided to make no assumptions in anything over C++98 so there's a full Tuple implementation and so on. If there's an interest I'll spend the evening porting the code to qualify for the Boost coding norms and upload it to the vault (if I can - but that should be OK). I would like you to take a look at the code and tell me what you think of it. Thanks for your time. Kind regards, Peter Bindels

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[TypeTraits] is it possible to add something to boost.type_traits?
by frederic.bron＠alcan.com 17 Dec '09

17 Dec '09

Dear boost implementers, TypeTraits is very useful, thanks you. However, recently, I needed something to know if a type is comparable (with operator<) and that was not in the library. Fortunately, somebody forwarded me an earlier post on the users list where I could find what I wanted. The implementation was inspired from boost/detail/is_incrementable.hpp I have written is_less_comparable, is_less_equal_comparable, is_greater_comparable... inspired from the same source and I wonder if it could be possible to add it to the library as I think it could be helpful for others. I give the source code below (if it is useful) but I am not able to make it fully general as it is in boost/type_traits. In particular, I do not understand all the macros that are used. Regards, F. Bron (See attached file: is_comparable.hpp) Avis : Ce message et toute pièce jointe sont la propriété d'Alcan et sont destinés seulement aux personnes ou à l'entité à qui le message est adressé. Si vous avez reçu ce message par erreur, veuillez le détruire et en aviser l'expéditeur par courriel. Si vous n'êtes pas le destinataire du message, vous n'êtes pas autorisé à utiliser, à copier ou à divulguer le contenu du message ou ses pièces jointes en tout ou en partie. Notice: This message and any attachments are the property of Alcan and are intended solely for the named recipients or entity to whom this message is addressed. If you have received this message in error please inform the sender via e-mail and destroy the message. If you are not the intended recipient you are not allowed to use, copy or disclose the contents or attachments in whole or in part.

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Re: [boost] Formal Review Request: Boost.String.Convert
by Vladimir.Batov＠wrsa.com.au 02 Dec '09

02 Dec '09

I understand we'll never manage to please everyone. Apologies. For now I am settling on the boost::convert interface as I very much agree with the arguments Robert's put forward for it and I feel there is the least disagreement around this interface. Surely boost::convert() has issues of its own. However, I feel the path (convert::to_string->convert::to->convert) how I myself arrived to this logical (IMHO) conclusion seemed reasonable. More so, despite its subtle (to some) directionality the interface has proven to work (as it is essentially the same interface as for lexical_cast). You cannot deny that I made considerable sacrifices (my pets "string" namespace and "to/from" are gone, something I was ready to die :-) for yesterday...). I am hoping the others could make some concessions as well and we would settle on boost::convert()... for now. If some other issues pop up that we missed so far, we'll revisit the issue. It is because I would very much like to move forward and start looking at the functionality and implementation. Do you think it is possible or I am rushing things again? I somewhat cleaned up the implementation (removed to/from, etc.). However, before going forward I'd like to discuss one important thing that's been bugging me since Scott brought it up. Namely, all conversions are now implemented as discriminated functions like // string-to-type conversion template<class TypeOut, class StringIn> typename boost::enable_if_c< !is_string<TypeOut>::value && is_string<StringIn>::value, detail::from_string<StringIn, TypeOut> >::type convert(StringIn const& from_str, TypeOut const& default_value =TypeOut()) { return detail::from_string<StringIn, TypeOut>(from_str, default_value); } However, Scott mentioned that and I feel that might be cleaner if we could implement it as namespace boost { template<class TypeOut, class TypeIn, class Enable =void> class convert; } Then for every conversion we'll be able to encapsulate *complete* implementation in the respective specialization class. Like for string-to-type template< class TypeOut, class StringIn, typename boost::enable_if_c< !is_string<TypeOut>::value && is_string<StringIn>::value, void>::type> class convert { convert(StringIn const& from_str, TypeOut const& default_value =TypeOut()); }; The reason I like it is that it eliminates other support/intermediate classes (like something used-to-called boost::string::value<...> and detail::from_string) and we can do int i = convert(str, -1); // Nothing changed. a 'convert' instance created on the stack and converted to 'int'. convert<int, string> checked(str, -1); // named 'convert' is created. convert<int, string> checked = convert(str, -1); // the same but some might like this syntax better. if (checked.good()) success // we can check the success as ussed to with boost::string::value It feels that approach gives us considerably more room for expansion as some special conversions will be able to have methods only specific to that particular conversion. For this approach to work with algorithms we'll need class convert { static TypeOut apply(TypeIn const&); }; and then std::transform( ints.begin(), ints.end(), std::back_inserter(strings), convert<string, int>::apply); Thanks, Vladimir.

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