October 2014 - Boost - lists.boost.org

[mpl] [build] [testing] Merge pull requests
by Andrey Semashev 08 Dec '14

08 Dec '14

Hi, There were a lot of discussions about MPL recently, and I created a few pull requests to address issues: https://github.com/boostorg/boost/pull/39 Invoke 'headers' target before building testing tools. Note that several testers are currently failing to run because of this problem. Since this affects the testing process, I'd appreciate if someone familiar with it could take a look. https://github.com/boostorg/boost/pull/38 Add MPL.Core tests to the test report. These tests are currently not run by testers. https://github.com/boostorg/mpl/pull/12 Move a misplaced header from MPL to MPL.Core to resolve circular dependency between the two. I believe the first PR is especially critical. Could someone with permissions merge these? Thanks.

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[Range] New I/O functions for ranges
by Indiana 25 Nov '14

25 Nov '14

I'm currently putting together a proposal to the standards committee about a set of range I/O functions, but i think they would make a good addition to Boost as well. They would probably fit in the Range library - i don't think they warrant a library all of their own. The stuff i wrote for the standards proposal is available at http://cpp.indi.frih.net/rangeio/ - it goes into quite a bit of detail about the interface, and links to a sample implementation. But here's the executive summary: There is a single output function - currently called "write_all" - that takes a range and, optionally, a delimiter, like this: // BEGIN CODE ///////////////////////// auto const r = std::array<int, 4>{1, 2, 3, 4}; cout << write_all(r); // prints "1234" cout << "{ " << write_all(r, ", ") << " }"; // prints "{ 1, 2, 3, 4 }" // END CODE /////////////////////////// It takes anything that works with range-for, so it works with range adaptors: // BEGIN CODE ///////////////////////// struct is_even { auto operator()(int x) const -> bool { return x % 2 == 0; } }; cout << write_all(r | reversed | filtered(is_even{})); // prints "42" // END CODE /////////////////////////// Note also that the delimiter doesn't have to be a string (there are some examples in the reference of that). Why not just use std::copy() and stream iterators? Several reasons - the most obvious of which you can see above: this syntax is much cleaner, much less error-prone, well-integrated with the existing stream I/O mechanisms, and it produces properly delimited output (unlike the delimited version of ostream_iterator). But also, stream formatting is properly handled: // BEGIN CODE ///////////////////////// auto const r = std::array<int, 3>{1, 2, 3}; std::cout.width(3); std::cout.fill('0'); // --------------------------- // The old way: using std::begin; using std::end; std::copy(begin(r), end(r), std::ostream_iterator<int>{std::cout, ", "}); // even with Boost.Range, this just reduces to: //boost::copy(r, std::ostream_iterator<int>{std::cout, ", "}); // prints: "001, 2, 3, " // --------------------------- // The new way: std::cout << write_all(r, ", "); // prints "001, 002, 003" // END CODE /////////////////////////// And of course this works as expected in chained expressions: // BEGIN CODE ///////////////////////// auto const r = array<int, 3>{1, 2, 3}; cout.width(3); cout.fill('0'); cout << '(' << setw(3) << setfill('0') << write_all(r, ',') << ')'; // prints: "(001,002,003)" // END CODE /////////////////////////// It is also possible to get more information about errors, and react better to them. If there is an error in the formatting or in the stream during an output operation using std::copy() and ostream_iterator, the algorithm will chug merrily along until it's all the way through the range even though it's no longer writing anything. You will have no way to detect where the problem occurred - did it fail after the first element was written, or *before*, or did it fail after the millionth element? If the range is begin lazy-generated, that could be particularly wasteful, or even problematic. By contrast, write_all() stops immediately when there is an error in the output stream. It is even possible get more information about the last range write operation by capturing the temporary object, like this: // BEGIN CODE ///////////////////////// auto const r = array<int, 3>{1, 2, 3}; auto p = write_all(r); cout << p; if (!cout) { cerr << "only " << p.count << " elements written\n"; cerr << "next element would have been " << *p.next << '\n'; } // END CODE /////////////////////////// On the input side, there are 7 functions: * overwrite * back_insert * front_insert * insert * back_insert_n * front_insert_n * insert_n Overwrite simply replaces the contents of a range with whatever is read from input: // BEGIN CODE ///////////////////////// auto r = array<int, 100>{}; cin >> overwrite(r); // reads up to 100 ints // END CODE /////////////////////////// The *insert functions map to the *insert_iterators in the standard library, using push_back(), push_front(), or insert(). In each case: in >> ???insert(r[, i]); is basically equivalent to: copy(istream_iterator<value_type_of_r>{in}, // use braces on the next line, or face the most vexing parse istream_iterator<value_type_of_r>{}, ???inserter(r[, i])); The *insert_n functions are for the common case where you know in advance how many elements will be read, at maximum - or for when you want to limit the amount of elements read in a single read operation. This: in >> ???insert_n(r[, i], n); is conceptually equivalent to: copy_n(istream_iterator<value_type_of_r>{in}, n, ???inserter(r[, i])); except it can handle formatting and errors properly. The reference at http://cpp.indi.frih.net/rangeio/ goes into much more detail, of course. Why add it to Boost? Because these operations (reading/writing ranges) are so common they are almost universal, and there is no standard facility that handles them easily or well. They are not *difficult* to implement, but they are far from trivial - for example, you might think write_all() is just a simple range-for loop or for_each(), and it is... up until you add error checking, the delimiter, and formatting awareness. A sample implementation already exists - it can be implemented portably in pure standard C++11. (Can it be implemented in C++03 with? Good question. It might be possible with some Boost help, but it might require dependencies on libraries other than Boost.Range. If this proposal finds approval, that's something i can look into.) Would there be any interest in adding these functions to Boost.Range?

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[dynamic_bitset] capacity(), reserve(), shrink_to_fit()
by Riccardo Marcangelo 24 Nov '14

24 Nov '14

Hi, I have implemented capacity(), reserve(), and shrink_to_fit() for dynamic_bitset. I find these useful and am surprised by their omission. I'm wondering if there is any interest in including them in Boost. Perhaps there are reasons why they're not implemented? Riccardo -- View this message in context: http://boost.2283326.n4.nabble.com/dynamic-bitset-capacity-reserve-shrink-t… Sent from the Boost - Dev mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

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Changes in Boost.Optional
by Dean Michael Berris 24 Nov '14

24 Nov '14

Suppose I have the following type: struct container { boost::optional<uint16_t> optional() const { return value_; } private: boost::optional<uint16_t> value_; }; struct value_wrapper { value_wrapper(const container& c) : c_(c) {} operator uint16_t () { return 1; } operator boost::optional<uint16_t>() { return c_.optional(); } private: const container& c_; }; And that I have the following function: value_wrapper value(const container& c) { return value_wrapper(c); } The following used to work in MSVC 2010: container c; // leave c.value_ alone. boost::optional<uint16_t> some_value = value(c); assert(!some_value); Now with Boost 1.56, this breaks because the constructor for some_value from a temporary optional is now marked explicit. What is the work-around for the previous behavior to be regained? All the following changes cause the assertion to fail: boost::optional<uint16_t> some_value(value(c)); assert(!some_value); // some_value's constructor will use the uint16_t conversion operator, therefore some_value == 1 boost::optional<uint16_t> some_value = static_cast<boost::optional<uint16_t> >(value(c)); assert(!some_value); // same problem as above, the temporary created will favor the uint16_t conversion operator Help? PS. For better context, see https://github.com/cpp-netlib/cpp-netlib/blob/0.11-devel/boost/network/prot…

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[Boost.DLL] Formal Review request
by Antony Polukhin 21 Nov '14

21 Nov '14

Dear Boost, Some time passed since checking interest in plugin development library and now all the requested features are implemented (self loading, getting symbol location, better docs, automatic platform-specific library decorations append, much more examples, listing library exports and so on...). While there's still some room for minor improvements, library API is stable and the library will benefit greatly from a larger user base and more feedback. So unless someone thinks the library isn't ready or would get rejected right away in its current state for reason X, I am requesting a formal review for Boost.DLL. Library location: https://github.com/apolukhin/Boost.DLL Library Docs: http://apolukhin.github.io/Boost.DLL/index.html -- Best regards, Antony Polukhin

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Re: [boost] Is there interest in a library for string-convertible enums?
by Felix Uhl 05 Nov '14

05 Nov '14

Gavin Lambert wrote: > Features that I would expect of such a library: > - support for arbitrary non-contiguous values. > - enum value to string. > - string to enum value. That's done already. > - list of all valid values, either as strings or values. > - can indicate whether a given value (string or enum) is a member of > the enumeration. Easy, will do. > - can round-trip (enum -> string -> enum) values that are not members > of the enumeration; of course (string -> enum -> string) is not feasible > for non-members. What would a conversion from an enum that is not a member to a string look like? Should it just be converted to the string representation of the underlying type like “7”? Or something like “MyEnum::7”? Or would the string representation solve a term with bitwise OR like so: “one|two|four”? The latter would be very interesting for bitwise flag enums. > - can specify a custom string value that the enum value generates (not > just the BOOST_PP_STRINGIZE). Yeah I will implement that. Not sure why one would want it, it does nothing but induce confusion in my eyes, but I’m not the one to tell you what to do. > Features that would be nice, but not necessarily expected: > - enum to string and back for "bitwise flag" style enums (eg. CSV names). Not sure what you mean by that, because the regular string conversions work for those just as fine. Do you mean what I wrote above with the OR connected values in a string representation? > - some mapping to std::bitset or similar. That would be interesting! I’ve added it to the feature list, but it will probably take some time . > - can specify multiple string values that map to the same enum value. Hm. I’m not sure if I’d want that, or how that could even be implemented. If somebody wanted non-casesensitive behaviour, it would be better to use a std::string with custom char_traits, and that’s something I’ll definitely offer. > - can specify different conversion tables for the same enum type (for > use in different contexts, eg. serialisation vs. user output). I thought about that, too. I already give the option to choose between std::maps and a linear search for lookups, but I would really like to give the client more options. Those were good suggestions, thank you very much! You’ve given me quite some things to work on, but now I’ve got a pretty decent feature list. --- Felix Uhl Von: Gavin Lambert Gesendet: ‎Mittwoch‎, ‎29‎. ‎Oktober‎ ‎2014 ‎00‎:‎57 An: boost(a)lists.boost.org On 29/10/2014 00:09, Felix Uhl wrote: > So far, the only way to convert an enumeration value to a string is > a lot of boilerplate code consisting of switch case statements for > every single possible value of the enum. Not the only way. The method I use is to create a lookup table via a little macro magic. Granted that I'm then doing a linear scan through the table (whereas a switch statement could be more efficient, or knowledge that the enum is contiguous and could therefore do an index lookup), but having a table allows for other useful queries, and I wanted something that could be defined statically. As a side-benefit (that undoubtedly will horrify some people), the way the code was implemented also allows it to act as a string-to-member-pointer lookup table, which can be quite handy for typed property bags and the like with a string lookup key. > What features would you want from such a library? Features that I would expect of such a library: - support for arbitrary non-contiguous values. - enum value to string. - string to enum value. - list of all valid values, either as strings or values. - can indicate whether a given value (string or enum) is a member of the enumeration. - can round-trip (enum -> string -> enum) values that are not members of the enumeration; of course (string -> enum -> string) is not feasible for non-members. - can specify a custom string value that the enum value generates (not just the BOOST_PP_STRINGIZE). Features that would be nice, but not necessarily expected: - enum to string and back for "bitwise flag" style enums (eg. CSV names). - some mapping to std::bitset or similar. - can specify multiple string values that map to the same enum value. - can specify different conversion tables for the same enum type (for use in different contexts, eg. serialisation vs. user output). _______________________________________________ Unsubscribe & other changes: http://lists.boost.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/boost

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[ANN] "The Boost C++ Libraries", 2nd edition available
by Boris Schäling 03 Nov '14

03 Nov '14

Just a quick announcement: The 2nd edition of my book "The Boost C++ Libraries" is available. - It introduces 72 Boost libraries. - It contains more than 430 examples. - The print version has about 570 pages. - There is also a Kindle, Epub and PDF version. - It's even online: <http://theboostcpplibraries.com/> A special "thank you" goes to Niall who handled this year's Google Summer of Code program so smoothly that I as a backup admin didn't need to do anything - and had enough time to work on the book. :) Boris

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[1.57.0] Release candidates available
by Marshall Clow 01 Nov '14

01 Nov '14

[ Please disregard previous message; apparently I am brain-dead this morning. The uploaded files are correct, though. ] Release candidate files for 1.57.0 are available at http://boost.cowic.de/rc/ As always, the release managers would appreciate it if you download the candidate of your choice and give building it a try. Please report both success and failure, and anything else that is noteworthy. This helps ensure the candidates build OK before we push them out to SourceForge. The files (and associated md5s) are: MD5 (./boost_1_57_0_rc1.7z) = 17c98dd78d6180f553fbefe5a0f57d12 MD5 (./boost_1_57_0_rc1.tar.bz2) = 1be49befbdd9a5ce9def2983ba3e7b76 MD5 (./boost_1_57_0_rc1.tar.gz) = 25f9a8ac28beeb5ab84aa98510305299 MD5 (./boost_1_57_0_rc1.zip) = 5e040e578e3f0ba879da04a1e0cd55ff Thanks! -- The release managers P.S. Release notes are here: http://www.boost.org/users/history/version_1_57_0.html

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Enhancing regression tests summary
by Adam Wulkiewicz 31 Oct '14

31 Oct '14

Hi, Some time ago I was writing about regression summaries enhancements, that I'd be nice to see more meaningful list of errors, etc. I asked questions, even prepared a PR for regression, to no avail. So I developed a simple program downloading summaries, test logs and saving the enhanced result. You may check it out here: https://github.com/awulkiew/summary-enhancer Regards, Adam

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[regression] [develop] OSError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: any_test.test
by Suckow, Thomas J 31 Oct '14

31 Oct '14

# Running Boost.Build tests Traceback (most recent call last): File "run.py", line 83, in <module> runner(root) File "/Boost_Regression_Develop/tools_regression_src/regression.py", line 264, in __init__ self.main() File "/Boost_Regression_Develop/tools_regression_src/regression.py", line 650, in main getattr(self,action_m)() File "/Boost_Regression_Develop/tools_regression_src/regression.py", line 615, in command_regression self.command_test() File "/Boost_Regression_Develop/tools_regression_src/regression.py", line 394, in command_test self.command_test_boost_build() File “/Boost_Regression_Develop/tools_regression_src/regression.py", line 438, in command_test_boost_build "boost/bin.v2/libs/any/test/any_test.test")); OSError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: ‘/Boost_Regression_Develop/results/boost/bin.v2/libs/any/test/any_test.test’ Looks like everyone but teeks is failing to build. - Thomas

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