Beyond the C++ Standard Library: An Introduction to Boost

Beyond the C++ Standard Library: An Introduction to Boost

Introduction to Boost

Part I. General Libraries

Library 1. Smart_ptr
Library 2. Conversion
Library 3. Utility
Library 4. Operators
Library 5. Regex

 

Part II. Containers and Data Structures

Library 6. Any
Library 7. Variant
Library 8. Tuple

 

Part III. Function Objects and Higher-Order Programming

Library 9. Bind
Library 10. Lambda
Library 11. Function
Library 12. Signals

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Welcome to Beyond the C++ Standard Library: An Introduction to Boost.

If you are interested in generic programming, library design, and the C++ Standard Library, this book is for you. Because the intended audience for the book is intermediate to advanced C++ programmers, there is little coverage of basic C++ concepts. As the title suggests, the focus of this book is on the Boost librariesgeneral usage, best practices, implementation techniques, and design rationale.

Almost from the day I discovered Boost, the people behind it, and the extraordinary libraries in it, I've wanted to write this book. It is amazing that a language as mature as C++ still offers room for exploration into higher-level abstractions as well as technical detail, all without requiring changes to the language. Of course, this is what sets C++ apart from many other programming languages: It is specifically and intentionally designed for extension, and the language's facilities for generic constructs are extremely powerful. This exploration is at the core of the Boost libraries and the Boost community itself. Boost is about making programming in C++ more elegant, more robust, and more productive.

As discoveries are made and best practices are shaped, a great challenge faces the C++ community; to share this knowledge with others. In isolation, there is limited value to these remarkable findings, but when exposed to a larger audience, a whole industry will evolve.