Re: [boost] Is there any interest in a library for Application System? (Request for comments)

Subject: Re: [boost] Is there any interest in a library for Application System? (Request for comments)
From: Jarrad Waterloo (jwaterloo_at_[hidden])
Date: 2012-01-05 09:16:43

> Some detail (Brainstorm):
> ...
>
> . A Server Application
>
>           A server application usually starts when system boot, and then
> remain running as background process, don't matter who is currently logged.
>
>           In Windows this will a "Windows Service" and in UNIX a "UNIX
> Daemon", and we can create a "Neutral Application" that is not a daemon and
> service, but uses "service interface" that will provide methods like an
> "init", "interrogate", "restart" and so on.
>
> ...
>
> // windows service, or daemon
> class myapp : public boost::application::server{};
>
> // neutral server
> class myapp : public boost::application::server<neutral>{};
>
> // usual application
> class myapp : public boost::application::app{};
>

Consider using a single base class instead of three such that one can 
choose how it is started from the command line parameters or 
configuration file. It is common to debug as a usual application and 
deploy as a service/daemon.

Other work needed to be done are as follows:
1) int main(const vector<[w]string>& parameters) member function where 
the developer puts his code. This provides converting of const char*[] 
parameter to the standard main function.
2) creating a windows service blocks the main thread so the above step#1 
main function would need to be called from a new C++0x/boost thread.
3) control C signal handlers for terminating the service constructively
4) char versus wchar versus utf8char versus utf32char debate; the latter 
pseudo types are the new char types supported by C++0x
5) since this library needs to be general and boosters would want to use 
their own command line parameter or configuration file mechanism, though 
a smart default is welcome, the base class may need to be abstract 
asking the user defined application class
enum isDaemonNeutralOrUsual();
which would have to be virtual which boosters hate even if this is the 
only class instance in the application
or the compile abstract trick of
class MyClass : public boost::application:server<MyClass>{};// class 
inheriting from base that inherits from itself

The first three items are features already provided by the POCO library. 
The fifth is to make things more general for those who want a 
configuration file capable of return objects instead of just strings.