Re: [boost] Integrating Boost.Process and Boost.Asio

Subject: Re: [boost] Integrating Boost.Process and Boost.Asio
From: Johannes Brunen (JBrunen_at_[hidden])
Date: 2008-10-03 13:45:25

Hello Boris,

I tried the Process library with msvc .net 2008 (vc9) sp1 on win XP sp3.
However, the example async_io.cpp does not work properly. The function
end_read does not be called at all neither in debug nor in release mode.

I looked into the asio implementation but got lost by the details which I
haven't mastered.

> It would be nice if you could write:
>
> bp::child c = start_child();
> bp::pistream &is = c.get_stdout();
> is.async_read_some(...);
>

Yes, please.

> The first question is then where to pass the io_service instance to 
> Boost.Process? In Boost.Asio I/O objects are typically initialized with 
> io_service. As both child and pistream are created in the library 
> io_service would need to be passed to Boost.Process when the child is 
> spawned. However developers who don't want to use asynchronous I/O really 
> shouldn't create an io_service instance first.

Maybe not an asio service object but a lightweight wrapper of the object.
I would hide the usage of asio from the Process interface.

> Another idea is of course adding a new class to Boost.Process (pistream 
> would then only be used for synchronous I/O)? Right now I'd probably go 
> this way?
Fine.

With best regards
Johannes