[Boost-users] Variadic Macro Data library in the Boost sandbox

Subject: [Boost-users] Variadic Macro Data library in the Boost sandbox
From: Edward Diener (eldiener_at_[hidden])
Date: 2010-10-11 20:43:42

This may interest end-users who use macros/Boost PP in their own code to 
do preprocessor metaprogramming.

I have put in the Boost sandbox the Variadic Macro Data library, or VMD. 
This library supplies variadic macro functionality and integrates 
variadic macros with the Boost PP library without changing the latter in 
any way. The library in the sandbox is in the variadic_macro_data 
folder. The library is a header-only library of macros. There is 
documentation and tests and the appropriate jamfiles for both. To build 
the documentation you need doxygen but I have also provided 
documentation in an html subfolder. Access to the Boost sandbox is 
explained on the Boost web site at 
http://www.boost.org/community/sandbox.html.

The main use of the library is to be able to pass variadic data to 
macros, and in particular to extract variadic data elements or convert 
variadic data to Boost PP data types for use by Boost PP. The library 
also enhances the functionality of Boost PP tuple data.

Installation is simply to take the boost and lib subfolders of the 
library and copy them to a Boost installation, preferable the trunk 
where support for variadic macros has been added in Boost config in the 
form of a BOOST_NO_VARIADIC_MACROS which is defined for 
compilers/versions which do NOT support variadic macros. To use the 
macros in the library, just "#include 
<boost/variadic_macro_data/VariadicMacroData.hpp>". Compilers which 
support variadic macros are gcc 3.0 and above and VC8 and above among a 
few others.

You could also use the library on any installed Boost installation if 
the compiler you are using supports variadic macros.

There is a discussion in the doc of why you might choose to use variadic 
macros rather than a Boost PP data type in a macro tailored for end-users.

Comments, suggestions, and bug reports are welcome.

Edward Diener