I have a strange bug where on the AIX platform I get: boost::archive exception for TimeStruct : integer cannot be represented for boost version 1.40 on restoring a class(TimeStruct) that has a integer data member of value of -1. Its seems strange that the exception is _only_ raised when restoring the class, and not saving Its missing some symmetry somewhere ? Here is the stack trace: //boost::serialization::throw_exception<portable_binary_iarchive_exception>, //portable_binary_iarchive::load_impl, //portable_binary_iarchive::load<int>, //boost::archive::load_access::load_primitive<portable_binary_iarchive,int>, //boost::archive::detail::load_non_pointer_type<portable_binary_iarchive,int>::load_primitive::invoke, //boost::archive::detail::load_non_pointer_type<portable_binary_iarchive,int>::invoke, //boost::archive::load<portable_binary_iarchive,int>, //boost::archive::detail::common_iarchive<portable_binary_iarchive>::load_override<int>, //portable_binary_iarchive::load_override<int>, //boost::archive::detail::interface_iarchive<portable_binary_iarchive>::operator

...

<int>, //boost::archive::detail::interface_iarchive<portable_binary_iarchive>::operator &<int>, //TimeStruct::serialize<portable_binary_iarchive>, // .....

This is raised in: void portable_binary_iarchive::load_impl(boost::intmax_t & l, char maxsize){ char size; l = 0; this->primitive_base_t::load(size); if(0 == size){ return; } bool negative = (size < 0); if(negative) size = -size; if(size > maxsize) boost::serialization::throw_exception( portable_binary_iarchive_exception() ); ..... The exception is raised because size=255 and maxsize=4 ? Here is the example which produces the exception: Please note that you will have to dig out and compile the portable binary archives out of the boost serialisation examples dirs. //================ Main.cpp ========================= // This example demonstrates a possible bug in // portable binary format on AIX when serialising -1 // that is specific only to the AIX compiler/platform // (i.e HPUX/Acc and linux/gcc run without any problems) // However on AIX on the restore I get: // boost::archive exception for TimeStruct : integer cannot be represented // // This test consists of 1 files // 1/ Main.cpp // #include <sstream> #include <ostream> #include <iostream> #include <fstream> #include <boost/archive/binary_oarchive.hpp> #include <boost/archive/binary_iarchive.hpp> #include <boost/archive/text_iarchive.hpp> #include <boost/archive/text_oarchive.hpp> #include "portable_binary_oarchive.hpp" #include "portable_binary_iarchive.hpp" #include <boost/serialization/serialization.hpp> using namespace std; class TimeStruct { public: TimeStruct() : hour_(-1), minute_(-1) {} TimeStruct(int hour, int min) : hour_(hour), minute_(min) {} bool operator==(const TimeStruct& rhs) const { return ((hour_ == rhs.hour_) && (minute_ == rhs.minute_));} bool operator!=(const TimeStruct& rhs) const { return !operator==(rhs);} int hour() const { return hour_;} int minute() const { return minute_;} bool isNULL() const { return (hour_ == -1) || (minute_ == -1); } // returns struct in the format hh:mm std::string toString() const { std::stringstream ss; if (hour_ == -1) ss << hour_; else if (hour_ < 10) ss << "0" << hour_; else ss << hour_; ss << ":"; if (minute_ == -1) ss << minute_; else if (minute_ < 10) ss << "0" << minute_; else ss << minute_; return ss.str(); } private: int hour_; int minute_; friend class boost::serialization::access; template<class Archive> void serialize(Archive & ar, const unsigned int /*version*/) { ar & hour_; ar & minute_; } }; bool compare(const TimeStruct& lhs, const TimeStruct& rhs) { if (lhs.isNULL() && rhs.isNULL()) return true; if (lhs.isNULL() && !rhs.isNULL()) return false; if (!lhs.isNULL() && rhs.isNULL()) return false; if (lhs.hour() != rhs.hour()) return false; if (lhs.minute() != rhs.minute()) return false; return true; }; static void save(const std::string& fileName, const TimeStruct& ts, bool textArchive); static void restore(const std::string& fileName, TimeStruct& ts, bool textArchive); int main() { { TimeStruct saved; save("fred.txt",saved,true); TimeStruct restored; restore("fred.txt",restored,true); assert(saved == restored); } { TimeStruct saved; save("fred.txt",saved,false); TimeStruct restored; restore("fred.txt",restored,false); assert(saved == restored); } return 0; } void save(const std::string& fileName, const TimeStruct& ts, bool textArchive) { if ( textArchive ) std::cout << "Text archive Saving " << ts.toString(); else std::cout << "portable binary archive Saving " << ts.toString(); try { if (textArchive) { std::ofstream ofs( "fred.txt" ); boost::archive::text_oarchive ar( ofs ); ar << ts; } else { std::ofstream ofs( fileName.c_str(), ios::binary ); portable_binary_oarchive ar(ofs); ar << ts; } std::cout << " OK \n"; } catch (const boost::archive::archive_exception& ae) { std::cout << " save " << fileName << " failed. boost::archive exception for TimeStruct " << ": " << ae.what() << std::endl; } } void restore(const std::string& fileName, TimeStruct& restored, bool textArchive) { if ( textArchive ) std::cout << "Text archive Restoring "; else std::cout << "portable binary archive Restoring " ; try { if ( textArchive ) { std::ifstream ifs( fileName.c_str() ); boost::archive::text_iarchive ar( ifs ); ar >> restored; } else { std::ifstream ifs( fileName.c_str(), ios::binary ); portable_binary_iarchive ar( ifs ); ar >> restored; } std::cout << restored.toString() << " OK \n"; } catch ( const boost::archive::archive_exception& ae ) { std::cout << " restore " << fileName << " failed. boost::archive exception for TimeStruct " << ": " << ae.what() << std::endl; } } Best regards, Ta, Avi