October 2012 - Boost - lists.preview.boost.org

[release][1.52.0] Release Notes
by Daniel James 06 Nov '12

06 Nov '12

Hello everyone, We're coming up to the beta release, so it's time to put together the release notes (although please don't feel you need to wait for me to start). As always you can send them to me, or if you want update them yourself in subversion. The files are at: https://svn.boost.org/svn/boost/website/public_html/live/feed/history/ The actual site won't get updated until I run the update script. You can see the release notes so far at: http://www.boost.org/users/history/version_1_52_0.html As usual, they're not finished yet, and some of the links might not work as the 1.52 documentation won't be uploaded until after the beta is released. thanks, Daniel

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[clang] Windows toolset support?
by Beman Dawes 06 Nov '12

06 Nov '12

Cygwin has been shipping clang for six months or so. Has anyone gotten the cygwin/clang distribution (or any other clang distribution) to build boost? What toolset did you use? What does your user-config.jam file look like? Do you run bjam/b2 from the Windows command line or the bash command line? Thanks, --Beman

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[locale] [filesystem] Windows local 8 bit encoding
by Thiel, Bjoern 06 Nov '12

06 Nov '12

Hi, developing platform independent code I really like the convenience functions conv::to_utf, conv::from_utf, and conv::utf_to_utf from locale. Why not add something like conv::local8bit_to_utf and conv::local8bit_from_utf following the rational from filesystem (path encoding conversions): template < typename CharType > std::basic_string< CharType > local8bit_to_utf ( std::string const & text, method_type how = default_method ) { char const * encoding = impl::local8bit_encoding() ; return to_utf< CharType >( text, encoding, how ) ; } template< typename CharType > std::string local8bit_from_utf ( std::basic_string< CharType > const & text, method_type how = default_method ) { char const * encoding = impl::local8bit_encoding() ; return from_utf< CharType >( text, encoding, how ) ; } with char const * local8bit_encoding() { #ifdef WIN32 UINT codepage = AreFileApisANSI() ? GetACP() : GetOEMCP() ; return windows_codepage_to_encoding( codepage ) ; #else return "UTF-8" ; #endif } and with (better using a map) char const * windows_codepage_to_encoding( int const codepage ) { switch (codepage) { case 874: return "windows-874" ; case 932: return "Shift_JIS" ; // but should be "Windows-31J" ; case 936: return "GB2312" ; case 949: return "KS_C_5601-1987" ; case 950: return "Big5" ; case 1250: return "windows-1250" ; case 1251: return "windows-1251" ; case 1252: return "windows-1252" ; case 1253: return "windows-1253" ; case 1254: return "windows-1254" ; case 1255: return "windows-1255" ; case 1256: return "windows-1256" ; case 1257: return "windows-1257" ; case 1258: return "windows-1258" ; case 20127: return "US-ASCII" ; case 20866: return "KOI8-R" ; case 20932: return "EUC-JP" ; case 21866: return "KOI8-U" ; case 28591: return "ISO-8859-1" ; case 28592: return "ISO-8859-2" ; case 28593: return "ISO-8859-3" ; case 28594: return "ISO-8859-4" ; case 28595: return "ISO-8859-5" ; case 28596: return "ISO-8859-6" ; case 28597: return "ISO-8859-7" ; case 28598: return "ISO-8859-8" ; case 28599: return "ISO-8859-9" ; case 28603: return "ISO-8859-13" ; case 28605: return "ISO-8859-15" ; case 50220: return "ISO-2022-JP" ; case 50225: return "ISO-2022-KR" ; case 51949: return "EUC-KR" ; case 54936: return "GB18030" ; case 65001: return "UTF-8" ; default: { std::ostringstream message ; message << "Unknown codepage " << codepage ; throw std::invalid_argument( message.str() ) ; } } } Best regards Bjoern.

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[variant] awkward recursion
by Dave Abrahams 03 Nov '12

03 Nov '12

I've been playing around with variant a bit and decided to try to build a data structure for storing json. I came up with several different approaches but none are super-satisfying. I'd like some feedback. (If you need a refresher on what's in json, the front page of http://json.org tells all). In the abstract, json looks like: struct null {}; typedef std::map<std::string, value> object; typedef std::vector<value> array; typedef variant< null, std::string, double, object, array, bool > value; Naturally, this code isn't legal C++, so I set about making it be. The first thing I tried was to use recursive_wrapper<>, as the documentation implies it is the most flexible way to do this sort of thing. Unfortunately, there's no clean way to reformulate this type in a way that allows recursive_wrapper work, because the type that needs to be wrapped in recursive_wrapper includes "value" in its name, and I can't forward-declare it. The only way to forward-declare a type X, as far as I know, is: struct X; // or class X; So to try to get recursive_wrapper to work, I tried a couple of formulations that started with that, but it turns out that when you do this, you end up not needing recursive_wrapper at all struct value; typedef std::map<std::string, value> object; typedef std::vector<value> array; typedef variant< null, std::string, double, object, array, bool > value_base; struct value : value_base { value() {}; template <class T> value(T const& x) : base(x) {} // no move; I'm in C++03-land value& operator=(value const& x) { base::operator=(x); return *this; } } }; I don't know if I've missed some things that should be in that "value" class. I know that a recursive variant, in principle, requires a pointer indirection somewhere, so I was wondering if, had I wrapped object and array in recursive_wrapper as below, I would have been adding an unnecessary inefficiency. typedef variant< null, std::string, double, reference_wrapper<object>, reference_wrapper<array>, bool > value_base; I also wondered whether that would give me different results from typedef std::map<std::string, value> object; typedef std::vector<value> array; typedef variant< null, std::string, double, std::map<std::string, reference_wrapper<value> >, std::vector<reference_wrapper<value> >, bool > value_base; and which one was better. Does anyone know? I think that should be in the docs. Using recursive_variant_ works out quite nicely, except that it doesn't allow me to separately declare "object" and "array" and re-use them in the definition of "value": typedef boost::make_recursive_variant< null , std::string , double , std::map<std::string, boost::recursive_variant_> , std::vector<boost::recursive_variant_> , bool >::type value; I also wonder if I'm getting an unnecessary inefficiency in that case. Lastly, what flexibility am I sacrificing by using this approach? -- Dave Abrahams BoostPro Computing Software Development Training http://www.boostpro.com Clang/LLVM/EDG Compilers C++ Boost

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[Variant] Documentation Questions/Notes
by Dave Abrahams 02 Nov '12

02 Nov '12

- What does this mean? Full value semantics, including adherence to standard overload resolution rules for conversion operations. Seems to me that it's impossible *not* to adhere to any standard rules. Is the part after the comma vacuous? - The "temporary heap backup" technique seems to have a hole: 1. Copy-construct the content of the left-hand side to the heap; call the pointer to this data backup. 2. Destroy the content of the left-hand side. 3. Copy-construct the content of the right-hand side in the (now-empty) storage of the left-hand side. 4. In the event of failure, copy backup to the left-hand side storage. 5. In the event of success, deallocate the data pointed to by backup. What happens in the event of a failure in step 4? - I note the section on motivation doesn't mention the new capabilities of C++11 unions. Now some of the constructs are possible... *if* you do all the bookeeping yourself. - I note that the implementation has at least some support for move semantics and yet the docs require all elements to be "bounded types", which in turn are required to be CopyConstructible. Is that accurate, or outdated? - "completeness at the point of template instantiation" is a rather odd thing to put in a concept. I suggest that that should be just part of the requirements on the variant template rather than on BoundedType. - Do the semantics for are_strict_equals at http://www.boost.org/doc/libs/1_51_0/doc/html/variant/tutorial.html differ from those of the built-in equality operator? - it might be worth making the point that recursive variants offer the ability to define complex linked data structures *as value types* in a type- and memory-safe manner. I.e. no explicit handling of pointers; copy construction and assignment "just work," etc. -- Dave Abrahams BoostPro Computing Software Development Training http://www.boostpro.com Clang/LLVM/EDG Compilers C++ Boost

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[optional] Doc Nit
by Dave Abrahams 01 Nov '12

01 Nov '12

> A typical approach is to consider the existence of a > valid return value as a postcondition, so that if the > function cannot compute the value to return, it has > either undefined behavior (and can use assert in a > debug build) or uses a runtime check and throws an > exception if the postcondition is violated. This is a > reasonable choice for example, for function (A), This is possibly technically correct, but confusing. Undefined behavior results from precondition violations, not postcondition violations. I'd suggest: One approach is to make a non-negative argument a precondition, so when violated the function has undefined behavior (and can use assert in a debug build). Alternatively, one can use a runtime check and specify that an exception is thrown if the postcondition cannot be satisfied. These are a reasonable choice for example, for function (A), I'm not sure the first sentence is quite right for your needs, but I'm out of time to improve it further. -- Dave Abrahams BoostPro Computing Software Development Training http://www.boostpro.com Clang/LLVM/EDG Compilers C++ Boost

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C++ Now 2013 Call for Submissions
by Hartmut Kaiser 31 Oct '12

31 Oct '12

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- C++ NOW CONFERENCE 2013 - Aspen CO, USA, May 13-17, 2013, www.cppnow.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS -------------------- We invite you to submit session proposals to the 2nd annual C++ Now Conference (Aspen CO, USA, May 13-17, 2013). Building upon the resounding success of C++ Now 2012 and five years of BoostCon, C++ Now 2013 will present leading speakers from the whole C++ community. The C++ Now Conference is dedicated to discussion and education about C++, an open and free language and standard. Our Conference will focus on discussion and education about open source software usage and developments in the C++ developer and user community. To reflect the breadth of the C++ and Boost communities, the conference includes sessions aimed at three constituencies: C++ and Boost end-users, hard-core Boost library and tool developers, and researchers pushing the boundaries of computation. The program fosters interaction and engagement within and across those groups, with an emphasis on hands-on, participatory sessions. As a multi-paradigm language, C++ is a melting pot where the most compelling ideas from other programming communities are blended in powerful ways. Historically, some of the most popular sessions at C++ Now have highlighted these concepts, from DSLs to functional programming to transactional memory and more. Bring your C#, Python, Ruby or Haskell influences to bear in an environment that will broaden their exposure. At C++ Now 2013 we would like to focus on parallel and distributed computing with C++. However, by no means this is intended to restrict the topics of proposals we hope to see. Any other topic related to C++ as outlined below is perfectly fine for submission. IMPORTANT DATES --------------- New proposal submissions due: December 15th, 2013. Proposals decisions sent (tentative program available): January 30th, 2013. Fully scheduled program available: February 24th, 2013. BEST PRESENTATION AWARDS ------------------------ We know how much effort it takes to prepare talks for our conference. For this reason we will award the best presentations in the following categories: Best Presentation, Best Short Presentation, Best Tutorial, and Best Workshop. The awards will be given based on the audience's voting. Each award will include the author's name listed on the cover of the C++ Now website for that year and a plaque containing all the C++ Now conference information. SESSION TOPICS -------------- Topics of interest include, but are not restricted to, the following: * Parallelism in the new C++11 standard * Parallel, distributed and GPGPU topics relating to C++ * C++11 and how it changes life for users and library writers * General tutorial sessions on C++11, the C++11 Standards library, and one or more Boost libraries * In-depth sessions on using specific Boost libraries * Case studies on using Boost * Experts panels * Advanced sessions on implementation techniques used within Boost libraries * Development workshops to extend or enhance existing Boost libraries * Workshops on design process * Infrastructure workshops such as Build tools, Website, Testing * Concepts and Generic Programming * Hardware and infrastructure presentations focused on how libraries can make better use of the technology * Software development tools and their application to C++ and or Boost * Other topics likely to be of great interest to C++ users and developers Interactive and collaborative sessions are encouraged, as this is the style of learning and participation that has proven most successful at such events. Sessions can be tutorial based, with an emphasis on interaction and participant involvement, or workshop based, whether hands-on programming or paper-based, discussion-driven collaborative work. SESSION FORMATS --------------- Presentations Presentations focus on a practitioner's ideas and experience with anything relevant to C++11, Boost and users. Panels Panels feature three or four people presenting their ideas and experiences relating to C++11 and Boost's relevant, controversial, emerging, or unresolved issues. Panels may be conducted in several ways, such as comparative, analytic, or historic. Tutorials Tutorials are sessions at which instructors teach conference participants specific skills relevant to C++11 and Boost. Workshops Workshops provide an active arena for advancements in Boost-relevant topics. Workshops provide the opportunity for experienced practitioners to develop new ideas about a topic of common interest and experience. Author's Corner Presentations These were introduced at BoostCon 2008, and were a great success. They are short (30 minute) sessions, focusing on tips on usage and design. In addition, we're looking to uncover the hidden design gems in Boost libraries. Tool Vendors Presentations We actively encourage tool vendors and ISP's to submit proposals for a special Tool Vendors Session Track aimed at products related to Boost and C++ (compilers, libraries, tools, etc.). Other formats may also be of interest. Don't hold back a proposal just because it doesn't fit into a pigeonhole. SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL --------------------- Standard Sessions are 90 minutes. You may submit a proposal for fractions Or multiples of 90-minutes. Fractional proposals will be grouped into 90 Minute sessions covering related topics. Longer sessions, such as tutorials and classes, will be assigned three hour (i.e. half day), or six hour (i.e. full day) time slots. Please include: * The working title. * Type of session: presentation, panel, tutorial, workshop, authors corner, vendor track, other. * A paragraph or two describing the topic covered, suitable for the conference web site. * Proposed length: 10-20 minute short talks, 45 minutes, 90 minutes, half day, full day. * Alternate lengths, if you are willing to make adjustments: 10-20 minute short-talks, 45 minutes, 90 minutes, half-day, full day. * Audience: users, developers, both. * Level: basic, intermediate, advanced. * A biography, suitable for the conference web site. * Your contact information (will not be made public). SUBMISSION DETAILS ------------------ All submissions should be made through the EasyChair conference management system: http://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=cppnow2013. If you have not already registered at EasyChair, you will need to do so in order to submit your proposal. All submissions will go through a peer review process. Authors are invited (but are not required) to submit PDF versions of full papers of up to 10 pages in ACM conference proceedings format (see http://www.acm.org/sigs/publications/proceedings-templates) The full papers are not required unless you want them published in the proceedings. All accepted proposals will be made available in the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Digital Library (approval pending). Best papers, after further reviews, will be considered to be book chapters or journal articles in a renowned journal. The session materials go on the C++ Now website and will be available to attendees. For general information on the C++ Now 2013 paper submission or the scope of technical papers solicited; please refer to the conference website at www.cppnow.org. For any other questions about the submission process or paper format, please contact the Program Committee at cppnow2013(a)easychair.com. If you have any technical problems with EasyChair, please contact EasyChair for help. Note: Presenters must agree to grant a non-exclusive perpetual license to publish submitted materials, either electronically or in print, in any media related to C++ Now. Hartmut Kaiser, email: hartmut.kaiser(a)gmail.com (Program Committee Chair) Dave Abrahams, email: dave(a)boostpro.com (Conference Chair) On behalf of the conference organizers

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[chrono][ratio][boost_1_52_0_beta1] warning in user code
by Jeff Flinn 31 Oct '12

31 Oct '12

I've just downloaded boost_1_52_0_beta1 and get the warning below in my user code on VC11(I'm using thread which evidently brings in the above libs). I didn't see mention of this in trac. I'm moving forward from 1.47 and from VC8 so I'm not sure if this is an indication of some project setting[s] of mine, or if it should be corrected in the lib? Thanks, Jeff 6>D:\boost_1_52_0_beta1\boost/ratio/detail/overflow_helpers.hpp(136): warning C4293: '<<' : shift count negative or too big, undefined behavior 6> D:\boost_1_52_0_beta1\boost/ratio/detail/overflow_helpers.hpp(282) : see reference to class template instantiation 'boost::ratio_detail::br_mul<X,Y>' being compiled 6> with 6> [ 6> X=0x01, 6> Y=0x01 6> ] 6> D:\boost_1_52_0_beta1\boost/ratio/ratio.hpp(155) : see reference to class template instantiation 'boost::ratio_detail::ratio_divide<R1,R2>' being compiled 6> with 6> [ 6> R1=boost::ratio<0x01,0x0989680>, 6> R2=boost::ratio<0x01,0x03e8> 6> ] 6> D:\boost_1_52_0_beta1\boost/chrono/duration.hpp(305) : see reference to class template instantiation 'boost::ratio_divide<R1,R2>' being compiled 6> with 6> [ 6> R1=boost::ratio<0x01,0x0989680>, 6> R2=boost::ratio<0x01,0x03e8> 6> ] 6> D:\boost_1_52_0_beta1\boost/chrono/duration.hpp(784) : see reference to class template instantiation 'boost::chrono::detail::duration_cast<FromDuration,ToDuration>' being compiled 6> with 6> [ 6> FromDuration=boost::chrono::duration<int_least64_t,boost::ratio<0x01,0x0989680>>, 6> ToDuration=boost::chrono::milliseconds 6> ] 6> D:\boost_1_52_0_beta1\boost/chrono/ceil.hpp(27) : see reference to function template instantiation 'boost::chrono::duration<Rep,Period> boost::chrono::duration_cast<To,int_least64_t,boost::ratio<N,D>>(const boost::chrono::duration<Rep,boost::ratio<N,D>> &)' being compiled 6> with 6> [ 6> Rep=int_least64_t, 6> Period=boost::milli, 6> To=boost::chrono::milliseconds, 6> N=0x01, 6> D=0x0989680 6> ] 6> D:\boost_1_52_0_beta1\boost/thread/win32/basic_timed_mutex.hpp(199) : see reference to function template instantiation 'To boost::chrono::ceil<boost::chrono::milliseconds,int_least64_t,boost::ratio<N,D>>(const boost::chrono::duration<Rep,Period> &)' being compiled 6> with 6> [ 6> To=boost::chrono::milliseconds, 6> N=0x01, 6> D=0x0989680, 6> Rep=int_least64_t, 6> Period=boost::ratio<0x01,0x0989680> 6> ]

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[Move] Documentation Notes/Questions
by Dave Abrahams 31 Oct '12

31 Oct '12

1. In the docs, "comes in handful" => "comes in handy" 2. IMO, it's almost irresponsible to advertise move_iterator without saying that it's really *only* safe to use when you know implementation details of the algorithm or function to which you're passing it. In particular, it must not attempt to copy from any given position in the sequence more than once. 3. Why doesn't test_move_inserter use std::copy? 4. This sentence doesn't make any sense to me; it needs clarification. I would make a suggestion, but, well, I don't understand what you're trying to say The last one has the same behaviour as std::uninitialized_copy but since several standand library implementations don't play very well with move_iterators, this version is a portable version for those willing to use move iterators. 5. The section on constructor forwarding seems to imply that constructors are the only thing that will be forwarded, when of course that's not the case. 6. These sentences don't make sense to me together. They have no obvious connection to one another. To which limitations are you referring? Fortunately, most constructors take arguments by value, by const-reference or by rvalue reference. If these limitations are accepted, the forwarding emulation of a N-argument case requires just N overloads. This library makes this emulation easy with the help of BOOST_FWD_REF and boost::forward As far as I can tell from the implementation, BOOST_FWD_REF just generates a const& in emulation mode, which isn't much of an emulation at all. 7. "David Abrahams suggested the use of class rv class": too much class :-) -- Dave Abrahams BoostPro Computing Software Development Training http://www.boostpro.com Clang/LLVM/EDG Compilers C++ Boost

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problem adding new toolset
by Pavel Heimlich, a.k.a. hajma 30 Oct '12

30 Oct '12

Hi, I'm trying to add support for building Boost on Solaris 11 with Solaris Studio and the Apache stdcxx4 library. While building it manually works well, I have problems with running the regression testsuite, it fails when trying to build process_jam_log. I'm quite lost in the Boost build system so I don't even know how to start debugging this. TIA for any hints hajma my patch: http://pastebin.com/BbuDv5PB build log: http://pastebin.com/h6wBL6ub

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