[Boost-users] serialization lib, const data, documentation

From: Robbie Morrison (robbie_at_[hidden])
Date: 2007-08-29 12:44:29

Hello all

Regarding the Boost.Serialization library.

Archiving to XML requires the use of name-value-pairs for all
serialized objects, be they stand-alone or encapsulated.

I wanted to confirm the following is correct.

In reference to the online and bundled HTML documentation:

http://www.boost.org/libs/serialization/doc/serialization.html#const
file:///.../boost_1_34_1/libs/serialization/doc/serialization.html#const

It would appear that the code block which reads:

  ar & const_cast<T &>(t);

should also mention that, in the case of XML serialization:

  using boost::serialization::make_nvp;     // for convenience
  ar & make_nvp("t",  const_cast<T &>(t));  // cast used on load

Moreover, this code could be a candidate for a macro, something like
(or would this create its own can of worms?):

  ar & BOOST_SERIALIZATION_NVP_CONSTDATA(T, t);
  ar & BOOST_SERIALIZATION_CONSTDATA_NVP(T, t);

---
On that note, a new page describing user Boost.Serialization macros and
their usage might be helpful.  For instance I have created the following
list (readers should note that my comments may well be incorrect):
  BOOST_CLASS_EXPORT_GUID(SubClass, "MySC")  // GUID is "globally unique id"
  BOOST_CLASS_EXPORT(SubClass)               // shortcut if class name is acceptable
  BOOST_CLASS_VERSION(Class, 2)              // reset class version, the default is zero
  BOOST_IS_ABSTRACT(AbstractClass)           // only some compilers [which ones ?]
  BOOST_SERIALIZATION_NVP(data)              // shortcut if object name acceptable [1]
  BOOST_SERIALIZATION_BASE_OBJECT_NVP(Base)  // shortcut if object name acceptable [2]
  BOOST_SERIALIZATION_SPLIT_MEMBER()         // 'serialize' to 'save'/'load'
  BOOST_SERIALIZATION_SHARED_PTR(Class)      // depreciated [3]
  BOOST_CLASS_TRACKING(MyVirtualBaseClass, boost::serialization::track_always)
  BOOST_SHARED_POINTER_EXPORT(T)             // depreciated from Boost version 1.32
  BOOST_SHARED_POINTER_EXPORT_GUID(T, K)     // depreciated from Boost version 1.32
  BOOST_SERIALIZATION_LIBRARY_VERSION        // yields a "release" number [4]
  [1] boost::serialization::make_nvp("data", data);
  [2] requires #include <boost/serialization/base_object.hpp>
  [3] more specifically, for types without tracking set, that
        is using boost::serialization::track_never
      also under 1.34.1 this generates code only for particular
        Metrowerks and Borland compilers
  [4] requires #include <boost/serialization/serialization.hpp>
      (but doesn't appear to be maintained)
I don't mind drafting out such a page.  Could it be part of the
official web documentation or would I be better to add it to the boost
wiki as an informal contribution.
many thanks in advance
Robbie
---
Robbie Morrison
PhD student -- policy-oriented energy system simulation
Institute for Energy Engineering (IET)
Technical University of Berlin (TU-Berlin), Germany
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