Boost (C++ libraries)
The Boost C++ Libraries are a set of libraries for the C++ programming language that provides support for tasks and structures such as linear algebra, pseudorandom number generation, multithreading, image processing, regular expressions, and unit testing. It currently contains 170 individual libraries.
All of the Boost libraries are licensed under the Boost Software License, designed to allow Boost to be used with both free and proprietary software projects. Boost is used complementary with the C++ Standard Library to supplement its features. Many of Boost's founders are on the C++ standards committee, and several Boost libraries have been accepted for incorporation into the C++ Technical Report 1, the C++11 standard and the C++17 standard.
The Boost community emerged around 1998, when the first version of the standard was released. It has grown continuously since then and now plays a big role in the standardization of C++. Even though there is no formal relationship between the Boost community and the standardization committee, some of the developers are active in both groups.
Design
The libraries are aimed at a wide range of C++ users and application domains. They range from general-purpose libraries like the smart pointer library, to operating system abstractions like Boost FileSystem, to libraries primarily aimed at other library developers and advanced C++ users, like the template metaprogramming and domain-specific language creation.In order to ensure efficiency and flexibility, Boost makes extensive use of templates. Boost has been a source of extensive work and research into generic programming and metaprogramming in C++.
Most Boost libraries are header based, consisting of inline functions and templates, and as such do not need to be built in advance of their use. Some Boost libraries coexist as independent libraries. Some Boost libraries, such as
boost.regex, are offered as modules, as the rest of the library begins to support modules.Associated people
Boost was founded in 1998 by three members of the C++ Standards Committee: Beman Dawes, David Abrahams, and Robert Klarer. The idea originated during a conversation between Klarer and Dawes at the March 1998 C++ Standards Committee meeting in Sophia Antipolis, France, with Abrahams joining shortly thereafter to establish the first Boost mailing list.Beman Dawes served on the C++ Standards Committee from 1992 and chaired the Library Working Group for five years during the completion of C++98. He was the original author of the Boost.Filesystem library, which later formed the basis for the std::filesystem library in C++17. Dawes was instrumental in establishing Boost's peer-review process and testing culture.
David Abrahams was a member of the C++ Standards Committee from 1996 to 2012 and is known for developing the theory of exception safety for C++, including the "Abrahams guarantees" framework. He authored multiple Boost libraries including Boost.Python and co-authored the book C++ Template Metaprogramming. In 2001, Abrahams founded Boost Consulting to provide commercial support for Boost libraries.
Robert Klarer, working at IBM, co-initiated the Boost concept with Dawes and contributed to early discussions on best practices for high-quality library development.
There are mailing lists devoted to Boost library use and library development, active.