Re: [boost] [Boost Review] Property Tree Library -- can aboost::serialization expert assess interfacing options

From: Marcin Kalicinski (kalita_at_[hidden])
Date: 2006-04-21 18:26:39

> However, after thinking of how ptree compares to boost::serialization,
> I can't take away from my mind the idea that someone should
> assess the possibility to create a boost::serialization archive
> that reads/writes objects to/from an in-memory ptree.
> It seems feasible since boost::serialization can i/o to XML.
>
> Similarly, we should then be able to use boost::serialization
> to i/o ptree to an xml file - preferably resulting in the
> exact same data as if objects had been serialized directly
> to XML.

I'm really pleased to say I have already done that. It is indeed simple, 
about 100 lines of code for input and output archives. The implementation of 
ptree_archive class is not first class at the moment (it's rather a quick 
hack), so I refrain from posting it at the moment.

But please have a look at this sample of how serialization data looks in 
JSON format. To create that I just used write_json() after writing some 
simple C++ data structures to ptree by means of ptree_archive:

{
    "d":
    {
        "class_id_type": "1",
        "class_name_type": "class Derived",
        "tracking_type": "0",
        "version_type": "0",
        "Base":
        {
            "class_id_optional_type": "0",
            "tracking_type": "0",
            "version_type": "0",
            "b": "78"
        },
        "d": "111"
    },
    "d2":
    {
        "class_id_type": "1",
        "Base":
        {
            "b": "11"
        },
        "d": "146"
    },
    "b":
    {
        "class_id_type": "0",
        "b": "52"
    },
    "i": "3",
    "v":
    {
        "class_id_optional_type": "2",
        "tracking_type": "0",
        "version_type": "0",
        "count": "5",
        "item":
        {
            "count": "3",
            "item": "1",
            "item": "2",
            "item": "3"
        },
        "item":
        {
            "count": "0"
        },
        "item":
        {
            "count": "0"
        },
        "item":
        {
            "count": "0"
        },
        "item":
        {
            "count": "0"
        }
    }
}

Note how all the housekeeping stuff (class_ids, tracking_ids etc.) makes is 
unsuitable for hand-editing.

Best regards,
Marcin