Re: [Boost-users] Using boost with 'c' level interfaces ?

Subject: Re: [Boost-users] Using boost with 'c' level interfaces ?
From: Slava (Viatcheslav.Sysoltsev_at_[hidden])
Date: 2013-06-07 02:52:30

On Thu, 06 Jun 2013 19:07:20 +0200, avib369 . <avibahra_at_[hidden]> wrote:

> I can not find any solution where a 'c' api
> can update/modify a std::vector
>
> Passing a std::vector<int>/std::vector<double> to a
> 'c' or fortran api function, that _reads_, works like a charm.
>
> However we are out of luck, if we need the 'c' api, to
> populate the array. When passing a std::vector will
> 'kind of' work. But you can never use any of the following
>
>  // 1/ size()
>  // 2/ empty()
>  // 3/ begin()/ end()/ rbegin()/rend()
>  // 4/ push_back()
>  // 5/ pop_back()
>
>  You have to separately carry the size of the vector, in
>  order to use it. You then just end up using it like a 'c' array.
>  I thought there may have been way of updating the vectors
>  begin/finish after the api call. But there does not appear to
>  any way to do this.
>
>  One solution would be to use 'c' array when calling the
>  interface, and then copy to a std::vector.
> However this would degrade performance, when dealing large data sets.
>
>  Is there any boost libraries/containers that are applicable or that
>  can handle this issue ? It must have similar properties to a vector,
>  like contiguous memory ?
>
> I have included a sample program below, to demonstrate.
>
> Before resorting back to 'c' array I was wondering
> if any one else has come across this problem ?
>
> Ta,
>  Avi

Hi Avi,

I was once fascinated how gtk reimplements the objects in C. Maybe you can  
use gtk array (https://developer.gnome.org/glib/stable/glib-Arrays.html)?

-- Slava