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Massive overhaul of Getting Started guide.

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@ -1,19 +1,20 @@
========================================
Getting Started With Boost |(logo)|__
========================================
============================
|(logo)|__ Getting Started
============================
.. |(logo)| image:: ../boost.png
:alt: Boost
:class: boost-logo
__ ../index.htm
This guide will help you get started using the Boost libraries.
Have fun!
.. section-numbering::
:depth: 2
.. contents:: Index
.. contents:: Contents
:depth: 2
:class: sidebar small
.. ## Update this substitution for each release
@ -21,34 +22,84 @@ Have fun!
.. |boost_ver-bold| replace:: **boost_1_34_0**
.. |root| replace:: ``/``\ *path*\ ``/``\ *to*\ ``/``\ |boost_ver|
.. |winroot| replace:: *C:*\ ``\``\ *path*\ ``\``\ *to*\ ``\``\ |boost_ver|
.. |winroot| replace:: *path*\ ``\``\ *to*\ ``\``\ |boost_ver|
.. |winroot-default| replace:: ``C:\Program Files\boost\``\ |boost_ver|
.. |bold-winroot-default| replace:: **C:\\Program Files\\boost\\**\ |boost_ver-bold|
Getting Boost
=============
Introduction
============
Welcome to the Boost libraries! By the time you've completed this
tutorial, you'll be at least somewhat comfortable with the contents
of a Boost distribution and how to go about using it.
What's Here
-----------
This document is designed to be an *extremely* gentle introduction,
so we included a fair amount of material that may already be very
familiar to you. To keep things simple, we also left out some
information intermediate and advanced users will probably want. At
the end of this document, we'll refer you on to resources that can
help you pursue these topics further.
Preliminaries
-------------
We use one typographic convention that might not be immediately
obvious: *italic* text in examples is meant as a descriptive
placeholder for something else, usually information that you'll
provide. For example:
.. parsed-literal::
**$** echo "My name is *your name*\ "
Here you're expected to imagine replacing the text “your name” with
your actual name.
We identify Unix and its variants such as Linux, FreeBSD, and MacOS
collectively as \*nix. If you're not targeting Microsoft Windows,
the instructions for \*nix users will probably work for you.
Cygwin users working from the Cygwin ``bash`` prompt should also
follow the \*nix instructions. To use your Cygwin compiler from
the Windows command prompt, follow the instructions for Windows
users.
Although Boost supports a wide variety of Windows compilers
(including older Microsoft compilers), most instructions for
Windows users cover only the Visual Studio .NET 2003 and Visual
Studio 2005. We hope that gives you enough information to adapt
them for your own compiler or IDE.
Get Boost
=========
There are basically three ways to get Boost on your system:
1. Download and run the `Windows installer`_ supplied by Boost
Consulting (not available for Boost alpha/beta releases).
1. **Windows Installer**: Boost Consulting provides an installer_
for Windows platforms that installs a complete Boost
distribution, plus optional precompiled library binaries for
Visual Studio, and (optionally) a prebuilt version of the
``bjam`` build tool.
.. ## remove the parenthesized note for full releases
.. _Windows installer: http://www.boost-consulting.com/download.html
.. _Windows installer: http://www.boost-consulting.com/download.html
.. |Windows installer| replace:: **Windows installer**
.. _Boost Consulting: http://boost-consulting.com
.. _installer: `Windows installer`_
2. or, `download a complete Boost distribution`__ from SourceForge.
.. ## Update this link for each release
__ http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=7586&package_id=8041&release_id=376197
2. **Download**: users of other platforms—and Windows
users who prefer to build everything from scratch—can `download
a complete Boost distribution`__ from SourceForge.
:Windows users: |boost_ver|\ ``.exe`` is a program you can
run to unpack the distribution; if you prefer not to download
executable programs, get |boost_ver|\ ``.zip`` and use an
external tool to decompress it. We don't recommend using
Windows' built-in decompression as it can be painfully slow
for large archives.
.. ## Update this link for each release
__ http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=7586&package_id=8041&release_id=376197
:\*nix users: Download |boost_ver|\ ``.tar.bz2``, then, in the
- **Windows**: Download and run |boost_ver|\ ``.exe``
to unpack the distribution. [#zip]_
- ***nix**: Download |boost_ver|\ ``.tar.bz2``. Then, in the
directory where you want to put the Boost installation,
execute
@ -56,11 +107,11 @@ __ http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=7586&package_id=8041&re
tar --bzip2 -xf */path/to/*\ |boost_ver|\ .tar.bz2
3. or use a Boost package from RedHat, Debian, or some other
distribution packager. These instructions may not work for you
if you use this method, because other packagers sometimes choose
to break Boost up into several packages or to reorganize the
directory structure of the Boost distribution. [#packagers]_
3. **Boost packages** from RedHat, Debian, or some other
distribution packager: these instructions may not work for you
if you use 3rd party packages, because other packagers sometimes
choose to break Boost up into several packages or to reorganize
the directory structure of the Boost distribution. [#packagers]_
The Structure of a Boost Distribution
=====================================
@ -71,8 +122,8 @@ slashes with backslashes):
.. parsed-literal::
**boost_1_34_0/** .................\ *The “boost root directory”*
**index.html** ....................\ *A copy of www.boost.org*
|boost_ver-bold|\ **/** .................\ *The “boost root directory”*
**index.htm** .........\ *A copy of www.boost.org starts here*
**boost/** .........................\ *All Boost Header files*
**libs/** ............\ *Tests, .cpp*\ s\ *, docs, etc., by library* [#installer-src]_
**index.html** ........\ *Library documentation starts here*
@ -86,6 +137,7 @@ slashes with backslashes):
**doc/** ...............\ *A subset of all Boost library docs*
.. sidebar:: Header Organization
:class: small
The organization of Boost library headers isn't entirely uniform,
but most libraries follow a few patterns:
@ -100,7 +152,7 @@ slashes with backslashes):
* Some libraries have an “aggregate header” in ``boost/`` that
``#include``\ s all of the library's other headers. For
example, Boost.Python's aggregate header is
example, Boost.Python_'s aggregate header is
``boost/python.hpp``.
* Most libraries place private headers in a subdirectory called
@ -148,46 +200,53 @@ A few things are worth noting right off the bat:
contains a subset of the Boost documentation. Start with
``libs/index.html`` if you're looking for the whole enchilada.
Building a Simple Boost Program
===============================
Header-Only Libraries
=====================
The first thing many people want to know is, “how do I build
Boost?” The good news is that often, there's nothing to build.
.. admonition:: Header-Only Libraries
.. admonition:: Nothing to Build
Nearly all Boost libraries are **header-only**. That is, most
consist entirely of header files containing templates and inline
functions, and require no separately-compiled library binaries
or special treatment when linking.
Most Boost libraries are **header-only**: they consist *entirely
of header files* containing templates and inline functions, and
require no separately-compiled library binaries or special
treatment when linking.
The only Boost libraries that are *not* header-only are:
.. _separate:
* Boost.Filesystem
* Boost.IOStreams
* Boost.ProgramOptions
* Boost.Python
* Boost.Regex
* Boost.Serialization
* Boost.Signals
* Boost.Test
* Boost.Thread
* Boost.Wave
The only Boost libraries that can't be used without separate
compilation are:
The DateTime library has a separately-compiled
binary which is only needed if you're using a “legacy
compiler”(such as?). The Graph library has a
separately-compiled binary, but you won't need it unless you
intend to `parse GraphViz files`__.
* Boost.Filesystem
* Boost.IOStreams
* Boost.ProgramOptions
* Boost.Python_
* Boost.Regex
* Boost.Serialization
* Boost.Signals
* Boost.Test
* Boost.Thread
* Boost.Wave
The DateTime library has a separately-compiled component that
is only needed if you're using its to/from_string and/or
serialization features or if you're targeting Visual C++ 6.x or
Borland. The Graph library also has a separately-compiled part,
but you won't need it unless you intend to `parse GraphViz
files`__.
__ ../libs/graph/doc/read_graphviz.html
.. ## Keep the list of non-header-only libraries up-to-date
Build a Simple Program Using Boost
==================================
To keep things simple, let's start by using a header-only library.
The following program reads a sequence of integers from standard
input, uses Boost.Lambda (a header-only library) to multiply each
one by three, and writes them to standard output::
input, uses Boost.Lambda to multiply each number by three, and
writes them to standard output::
#include <boost/lambda/lambda.hpp>
#include <iostream>
@ -203,60 +262,68 @@ one by three, and writes them to standard output::
in(std::cin), in(), std::cout << (_1 * 3) << " " );
}
Start by copying the text of this program into a file called
``example.cpp``.
Copy the text of this program into a file called ``example.cpp``.
.. _unix-header-only:
\*nix (e.g. Unix, Linux, MacOS, Cygwin)
---------------------------------------
Build on \*nix
--------------
Simply issue the following command (``$`` represents the
prompt issued by the shell, so don't type that):
In the directory where you saved ``example.cpp``, issue the
following command:
.. parsed-literal::
**$** c++ -I |root| example.cpp -o example
c++ -I |root| example.cpp -o example
To test the result, type:
.. parsed-literal::
**$** echo 1 2 3 | ./example
echo 1 2 3 | ./example
Microsoft Windows Command-Line using Visual C++
-----------------------------------------------
.. |next| replace:: *next...*
From your computer's *Start* menu, select if you are a Visual
|next|__
__ `Errors and Warnings`_
Build from the Visual Studio Command Prompt
-------------------------------------------
From your computer's *Start* menu, if you are a Visual
Studio 2005 user, select
*All Programs* > *Microsoft Visual Studio 2005*
> *Visual Studio Tools* > *Visual Studio 2005 Command Prompt*
or if you're a Visual Studio .NET 2003 user, select
or, if you're a Visual Studio .NET 2003 user, select
*All Programs* > *Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003*
> *Visual Studio .NET Tools* > *Visual Studio .NET 2003 Command Prompt*
to bring up a special command prompt window set up for the Visual
to bring up a special `command prompt`_ window set up for the Visual
Studio compiler. In that window, type the following command and
hit the return key (``C:\PROMPT>`` represents the prompt issued by
the shell, so don't type that):
hit the return key:
.. parsed-literal::
**C:\PROMPT>** cl /EHsc /I |winroot| example.cpp
cl /EHsc /I\ |winroot| *path*\ \\\ *to*\ \\example.cpp
To test the result, type:
.. parsed-literal::
**C:\PROMPT>** echo 1 2 3 | example
echo 1 2 3 | example
|next|__
__ `Errors and Warnings`_
.. _vs-header-only:
Visual Studio .NET 2003 or Visual Studio 2005
---------------------------------------------
Build in the Visual Studio IDE
------------------------------
* From Visual Studio's *File* menu, select *New* > *Project…*
* In the left-hand pane of the resulting *New Project* dialog,
@ -284,33 +351,40 @@ into the resulting window, followed by the return key::
Then hold down the control key and press "Z", followed by the
return key.
Other Compilers/Environments
----------------------------
Errors and Warnings
-------------------
Consult your vendor's documentation; if you have trouble adapting
these instructions to your build environment, request assistance on
the `Boost Users' mailing list`_.
Don't be alarmed if you see compiler warnings from Boost headers.
We try to eliminate them, but doing so isn't always practical.
[#warnings]_
.. _Boost Users' mailing list: mailing_lists.htm#users
Errors are another matter. If you're seeing compilation errors at
this point in the tutorial, check to be sure you've copied the
example program correctly and that you've correctly identified the
Boost root directory.
Getting Boost Library Binaries
==============================
Get Boost Library Binaries
==========================
If you want to use any of the separately-compiled Boost libraries,
you'll need to get ahold of library binaries.
you'll need library binaries.
Microsoft Visual C++ 8.0 or 7.1 (Visual Studio 2005/.NET 2003) Binaries
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Install Visual Studio Binaries
------------------------------
The `Windows installer`_ supplied by Boost Consulting will download
and install pre-compiled binaries into the ``lib\`` subdirectory of
the boost root, typically |winroot-default|\ ``\lib\``.
\*nix (e.g. Unix, Linux, MacOS, Cygwin) Binaries
------------------------------------------------
|next|__
Issue the following commands in the shell (again, ``$`` represents
the shell's prompt):
__ `Link Your Program to a Boost Library`_
Build and Install \*nix Binaries
--------------------------------
Issue the following commands in the shell (don't type ``$``; it
represents the shell's prompt):
.. parsed-literal::
@ -337,8 +411,12 @@ headers in the ``include/`` subdirectory of the installation
prefix, so you can henceforth use that directory as an ``#include``
path in place of the Boost root directory.
Other Compilers/Environments
----------------------------
|next|__
__ `Expected Build Output`_
Build and Install Other Binaries
--------------------------------
If you're not using Visual C++ 7.1 or 8.0, or you're a \*nix user
who wants want to build with a toolset other than your system's
@ -346,87 +424,32 @@ default, or if you want a nonstandard variant build of Boost
(e.g. optimized, but with debug symbols), you'll need to use
Boost.Build_ to create your own binaries.
Building Boost Binaries with Boost.Build_
-----------------------------------------
Like an IDE, Boost.Build_ is a system for developing, testing, and
installing software. Instead of using a GUI, though, Boost.Build_
is text-based, like ``make``. Boost.Build_ is written in the
interpreted Boost.Jam_ language.
Boost.Build_ is a text-based system for developing, testing, and
installing software. To use it, you'll need an executable called
``bjam``.
.. |precompiled-bjam| replace:: pre-compiled ``bjam`` executables
To use Boost.Build_, you'll need an executable called ``bjam``, the
Boost.Jam_ interpreter.
.. _precompiled-bjam: http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=7586&package_id=72941
.. _Boost.Jam documentation: Boost.Jam_
.. _Boost.Build: ../tools/build/index.html
.. _Boost.Jam: ../tools/jam/index.html
.. nosidebar .. sidebar:: Using Boost.Build for your own project
When you use Boost.Build to build your *own* project, you don't
need a separate step to create Boost binaries: you simply refer
to the boost library targets from your Jamfile and the are built
automatically (refer to the `Boost.Build documentation`_ for
detailed instructions). Here, we're assuming you're using a
different build system for your own code, so you need to
explicitly generate Boost binaries. We're also assuming that
you have a complete Boost distribution somewhere.
.. _Boost.Build documentation: Boost.Build_
Get ``bjam``
............
Getting ``bjam``
................
.. sidebar:: Using command-line tools in Windows
In Windows, a command-line tool is invoked by typing its name,
optionally followed by arguments, into a *Command Prompt* window
and pressing the Return (or Enter) key.
To open *Command Prompt*, click the *Start* menu button, click
*Run*, type “cmd”, and then click OK.
All commands are executed within the context of a **current
directory** in the filesystem. To set the current directory,
type:
.. parsed-literal::
cd *path*\ \\\ *to*\ \\\ *some*\ \\\ *directory*
followed by Return. For example,
.. parsed-literal::
cd |winroot-default|
One way to name a directory you know about is to write
.. parsed-literal::
%HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\\\ *directory-name*
which indicates a sibling folder of your “My Documents” folder.
Long commands can be continued across several lines by typing
backslashes at the ends of all but the last line. Many of the
examples on this page use that technique to save horizontal
space.
``bjam`` is the `command-line tool`_ that drives the Boost Build
system. To build Boost binaries, you'll invoke ``bjam`` from the
Boost root.
Boost provides |precompiled-bjam|_ for a variety of platforms.
Alternatively, you can build ``bjam`` yourself using the
instructions__ given in the `Boost.Jam documentation`_.
Alternatively, you can build ``bjam`` yourself using `these
instructions`__.
__ http://www.boost.org/doc/html/jam/building.html
``bjam`` is a command-line tool. To build Boost binaries, you'll
invoke ``bjam`` with the current directory set to the Boost root,
and with options described in the following sections.
.. _toolset:
.. _toolset-name:
@ -459,7 +482,13 @@ following table.
| | |version of dmc is known to |
| | |handle Boost well. |
+-----------+--------------------+-----------------------------+
|``gcc`` |The Gnu Project | |
|``darwin`` |Apple Computer |Apple's version of the GCC |
| | |toolchain with support for |
| | |Darwin and MacOS X features |
| | |such as frameworks. |
+-----------+--------------------+-----------------------------+
|``gcc`` |The Gnu Project |Includes support for Cygwin |
| | |and MinGW compilers. |
+-----------+--------------------+-----------------------------+
|``hp_cxx`` |Hewlett Packard |Targeted at the Tru64 |
| | |operating system. |
@ -472,7 +501,9 @@ following table.
+-----------+--------------------+-----------------------------+
|``qcc`` |QNX Software Systems| |
+-----------+--------------------+-----------------------------+
|``sun`` |Sun | |
|``sun`` |Sun |Only very recent versions are|
| | |known to work well with |
| | |Boost. |
+-----------+--------------------+-----------------------------+
|``vacpp`` |IBM |The VisualAge C++ compiler. |
+-----------+--------------------+-----------------------------+
@ -511,87 +542,80 @@ invoke ``bjam`` as follows:
.. parsed-literal::
bjam --build-dir=\ |build-directory|_ **\\**
--toolset=\ |toolset-name|_ stage
bjam **--build-dir=**\ |build-directory|_ **\\**
**--toolset=**\ |toolset-name|_ stage
For example, on Windows, your session might look like:
.. parsed-literal::
C:\WINDOWS> cd |winroot-default|
|winroot-default|> bjam **\\**
**--build-dir=**\ %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\\build-boost **\\**
|winroot-default|> bjam **\\**
**--build-dir=**\ %TEMP%\\build-boost **\\**
**--toolset=msvc stage**
And on Unix:
.. parsed-literal::
$ cd ~/|boost_ver|
$ bjam **--build-dir=**\ ~/build-boost **--prefix=**\ ~/boost
In either case, Boost.Build will place the Boost binaries in the
``stage/`` subdirectory of your `build directory`_.
.. Note:: ``bjam`` is case-sensitive; it is important that all the
parts shown in **bold** type above be entirely lower-case.
And on Unix:
For a description of other options you can pass when invoking
``bjam``, type::
.. parsed-literal::
bjam --help
~$ cd ~/|boost_ver|
~/|boost_ver|\ $ bjam --build-dir=~/build-boost --prefix=~/boost
Expected Build Output
---------------------
In either case, Boost.Build will place the Boost binaries in the
``stage/`` subdirectory of your *build directory*.
During the process of building Boost libraries, you can expect to
see some messages printed on the console. These may include
``stage``
.........
* Notices about Boost library configuration—for example, the Regex
library outputs a message about ICU when built without Unicode
support, and the Python library may be skipped without error (but
with a notice) if you don't have Python installed.
You already have the Boost headers on your system (in the
``boost/`` subdirectory of your Boost distribution), so if you
prefer not to create an additional copy, instead of installing
Boost you can simply “stage” the Boost binaries, which leaves them
in the ``stage/`` subdirectory of your chosen `build directory`_:
* Messages from the build tool that report the number of targets
that were built or skipped. Don't be surprised if those numbers
don't make any sense to you; there are many targets per library.
.. parsed-literal::
* Build action messages describing what the tool is doing, which
look something like:
bjam --build-dir=\ |build-directory|_ **\\**
--toolset=\ |toolset-name|_ stage
.. parsed-literal::
.. _prefix directory:
.. _prefix-directory:
*toolset-name*.c++ *long*\ /\ *path*\ /\ *to*\ /\ *file*\ /\ *being*\ /\ *built*
Select a Prefix Directory
.........................
* Compiler warnings.
Choose a **prefix directory**. The installation process will
leave you with the following subdirectories of the prefix directory:
In Case of Build Errors
-----------------------
* ``lib``, containing the Boost binaries
* ``include/``\ |boost_ver|, containing the Boost headers.
The only error messages you see when building Boost—if any—should
be related to the IOStreams library's support of zip and bzip2
formats as described here__. Install the relevant development
packages for libz and libbz2 if you need those features. Other
errors when building Boost libraries are cause for concern.
.. |prefix-directory| replace:: *prefix-directory*
If it seems like the build system can't find your compiler and/or
linker, consider setting up a ``user-config.jam`` file as described
in the `Boost.Build documentation`_. If that isn't your problem or
the ``user-config.jam`` file doesn't work for you, please address
questions about configuring Boost for your compiler to the
`Boost.Build mailing list`_.
Change your current directory to the Boost root directory and
invoke ``bjam`` as follows:
__ file:///home/dave/src/boost/libs/iostreams/doc/installation.html
.. parsed-literal::
bjam --build-dir=\ |build-directory|_ **\\**
--toolset=\ |toolset-name|_ **\\**
--prefix=\ |prefix-directory|_ install
For example, on Windows your session might look like:
.. parsed-literal::
C:\WINDOWS> cd |winroot-default|
|winroot-default|> bjam **\\**
--build-dir=C:\\TEMP\\build-boost **\\**
--prefix=C:\\boost
And on Unix:
.. parsed-literal::
~$ cd ~/|boost_ver|
~/|boost_ver|\ $ bjam --build-dir=/tmp/build-boost **\\**
--prefix=~/boost
Linking A Program with a Boost Library
======================================
Link Your Program to a Boost Library
====================================
To demonstrate linking with a Boost binary library, we'll use the
following simple program that extracts the subject lines from
@ -612,7 +636,7 @@ separately-compiled binary component. ::
std::getline(std::cin, line);
boost::smatch matches;
if (boost::regex_match(line, matches, pat))
std::cout << matches[2];
std::cout << matches[2] << std::endl;
}
}
@ -627,8 +651,17 @@ There are two main challenges associated with linking:
whose compile configuration is compatible with the rest of your
project.
Microsoft Windows
-----------------
.. Note:: Boost.Python_ users should read that library's own `build
documentation`__ as there are several library-specific issues to
consider.
.. _Boost.Python: ../libs/python/index.html
__ ../libs/python/doc/building.html
Link to a Boost Library on Windows
----------------------------------
.. _auto-linking:
Most Windows compilers and linkers have so called “auto-linking
support,” which is used by many Boost libraries to eliminate the
@ -638,14 +671,8 @@ the correct library into your object files; the linker selects the
library with that name from the directories you've told it to
search.
.. Note:: As of this writing, a few Boost libraries don't support
auto-linking:
* Boost.Python
* …others?…
Visual C++ Command Line
.......................
Link to a Boost Library from the Visual Studio Command Prompt
.............................................................
For example, we can compile and link the above program from the
Visual C++ command-line by simply adding the **bold** text below to
@ -654,23 +681,15 @@ in |winroot-default|\ ``\lib``:
.. parsed-literal::
C:\PROMPT> cl /EHsc /I |winroot| example.cpp **\\**
cl /EHsc /I |winroot| example.cpp **\\**
**/link /LIBPATH:** |bold-winroot-default|\ **\\lib**
To link with a library that doesn't use auto-linking support, you
need to specify the library name. For example,
|next|__
.. parsed-literal::
__ `Test Your Program`_
C:\PROMPT> cl /EHsc /I |winroot| example.cpp **\\**
/link /LIBPATH: |winroot-default| **\\**
**boost_regex-msvc-7.1-mt-d-1_34.lib**
See `Library Naming`_ for details about how to select the right
library name.
Visual Studio IDE
.................
Link to a Boost Library in the Visual Studio IDE
................................................
Starting with the `header-only example project`__ we created
earlier:
@ -684,30 +703,23 @@ __ vs-header-only_
e.g. |winroot-default|\ ``\lib\``.
3. From the *Build* menu, select *Build Solution*.
To link with a library that doesn't use auto-linking support,
before building (step 3 above), you also need to specify the library
name:
|next|__
* In *Configuration Properties* > *Linker* > *Input* >
*Additional Dependencies*, enter the name of the binary library
to link with, e.g. **boost_regex-msvc-7.1-mt-d-1_34.lib**.
__ `Test Your Program`_
See `Library Naming`_ for details about how to select the right
library name.
\*nix (e.g. Unix, Linux, MacOS, Cygwin)
---------------------------------------
Link to a Boost Library On \*nix
--------------------------------
There are two main ways to link to libraries:
a. You can specify the full path to each library:
A. You can specify the full path to each library:
.. parsed-literal::
$ c++ -I |root| example.cpp -o example **\\**
**~/boost/lib/libboost_regex-msvc-7.1-mt-d-1_34.a**
**~/boost/lib/libboost_regex-gcc-3.4-mt-d-1_34.a**
b. You can separately specify a directory to search (with ``-L``\
B. You can separately specify a directory to search (with ``-L``\
*directory*) and a library name to search for (with ``-l``\
*library*, [#lowercase-l]_ dropping the filename's leading ``lib`` and trailing
suffix (``.a`` in this case):
@ -715,11 +727,15 @@ b. You can separately specify a directory to search (with ``-L``\
.. parsed-literal::
$ c++ -I |root| example.cpp -o example **\\**
**-L~/boost/lib/ -lboost_regex-msvc-7.1-mt-d-1_34**
**-L~/boost/lib/ -lboost_regex-gcc-3.4-mt-d-1_34**
As you can see, this method is just as terse as method a. for
one library; it *really* pays off when you're using multiple
libraries from the same directory.
As you can see, this method is just as terse as method A for one
library; it *really* pays off when you're using multiple
libraries from the same directory. Note, however, that if you
use this method with a library that has both static (``.a``) and
dynamic (``.so``) builds, the system may choose one
automatically for you unless you pass a special option such as
``-static`` on the command line.
In both cases above, the bold text is what you'd add to `the
command lines we explored earlier`__.
@ -729,11 +745,11 @@ __ unix-header-only_
Library Naming
--------------
In order to choose the right library binary to link with, you'll
need to know something about how Boost libraries are named. Each
library binary filename is composed of a common sequence of
elements that describe how it was built. For example,
``libboost_regex-msvc-7.1-mt-d-1_34.lib`` can be broken down into the
When auto-linking is not available, you need to know how Boost
binaries are named so you can choose the right one for your build
configuration. Each library filename is composed of a common
sequence of elements that describe how it was built. For example,
``libboost_regex-vc71-mt-d-1_34.lib`` can be broken down into the
following elements:
``lib``
@ -745,9 +761,9 @@ following elements:
``boost_regex``
*Library name*: all boost library filenames begin with ``boost_``.
``-msvc-7.1``
*Toolset tag*: one of the `Boost.Build toolset names`_,
possibly followed by a dash and a version number.
``-vc71``
*Toolset tag*: identifies the toolset and version used to build
the binary.
``-mt``
*Threading tag*: indicates that the library was
@ -785,10 +801,9 @@ following elements:
ABI tag is ommitted.
``-1_34``
*Version tag*: the full Boost release number,
with periods replaced by underscores. The major and minor version
numbers are taken together separated by an underscore. For
example, version 1.31.1 would be tagged as "-1_31_1".
*Version tag*: the full Boost release number, with periods
replaced by underscores. For example, version 1.31.1 would be
tagged as "-1_31_1".
``.lib``
*Extension*: determined according to the
@ -805,21 +820,164 @@ following elements:
__ ../libs/python/doc/building.html#variants
Test Your Program
-----------------
To test our subject extraction, we'll filter the following text
file. Copy it out of your browser and save it as ``jayne.txt``::
To: George Shmidlap
From: Rita Marlowe
Subject: Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?
---
See subject.
Test Your Program on Microsoft Windows
......................................
In a `command prompt`_ window, type:
.. parsed-literal::
*path*\ \\\ *to*\ \\\ *compiled*\ \\example < *path*\ \\\ *to*\ \\\ jayne.txt
The program should respond with the email subject, “Will Success
Spoil Rock Hunter?”
Test Your Program on \*nix
..........................
If you linked to a shared library, you may need to prepare some
platform-specific settings so that the system will be able to find
and load it when your program is run. Most platforms have an
environment variable to which you can add the directory containing
the library. On many platforms (Linux, FreeBSD) that variable is
``LD_LIBRARY_PATH``, but on MacOS it's ``DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH``, and
on Cygwin it's simply ``PATH``. In most shells other than ``csh``
and ``tcsh``, you can adjust the variable as follows (again, don't
type the ``$``\ —that represents the shell prompt):
.. parsed-literal::
**$** *VARIABLE_NAME*\ =\ *path/to/lib/directory*\ :${\ *VARIABLE_NAME*\ }
**$** export *VARIABLE_NAME*
On ``csh`` and ``tcsh``, it's
.. parsed-literal::
**$** setenv *VARIABLE_NAME* *path/to/lib/directory*\ :${\ *VARIABLE_NAME*\ }
Once the necessary variable (if any) is set, you can run your
program as follows:
.. parsed-literal::
**$** *path*\ /\ *to*\ /\ *compiled*\ /\ example < *path*\ /\ *to*\ /\ jayne.txt
The program should respond with the email subject, “Will Success
Spoil Rock Hunter?”
Conclusion and Further Resources
================================
This concludes your introduction to Boost and to integrating it
with your programs. As you start using Boost in earnest, there are
surely a few additional points you'll wish we had covered. One day
we may have a “Book 2 in the Getting Started series” that addresses
them. Until then, we suggest you pursue the following resources.
If you can't find what you need, or there's anything we can do to
make this document clearer, please post it to the `Boost Users'
mailing list`_.
* `Boost.Build reference manual`_
* `Boost.Jam reference manual`_
* `Boost Users' mailing list`_
* `Boost.Build mailing list`_
* `Boost.Build Wiki`_
.. Admonition:: Onward
.. epigraph::
Good luck, and have fun!
-- the Boost Developers
.. _Boost.Build reference manual: http://boost.org/tools/build/v2
.. _Boost.Jam reference manual: http://boost.org/tools/jam
.. _Boost Users' mailing list: http://boost.org/more/mailing_lists.htm#users
.. _Boost.Build Wiki: http://www.crystalclearsoftware.com/cgi-bin/boost_wiki/wiki.pl?Boost.Build_V2
.. _Boost.Build mailing list: http://boost.org/more/mailing_lists.htm#jamboost
.. _`Using command-line tools in Windows`:
.. _`command prompt`:
.. _`command-line tool`:
Appendix: Using command-line tools in Windows
=============================================
In Windows, a command-line tool is invoked by typing its name,
optionally followed by arguments, into a *Command Prompt* window
and pressing the Return (or Enter) key.
To open *Command Prompt*, click the *Start* menu button, click
*Run*, type “cmd”, and then click OK.
All commands are executed within the context of a **current
directory** in the filesystem. To set the current directory,
type:
.. parsed-literal::
cd *path*\ \\\ *to*\ \\\ *some*\ \\\ *directory*
followed by Return. For example,
.. parsed-literal::
cd |winroot-default|
One way to name a directory you know about is to write
.. parsed-literal::
%HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\\\ *directory-name*
which indicates a sibling folder of your “My Documents” folder.
Long commands can be continued across several lines by typing
backslashes at the ends of all but the last line. Many of the
examples on this page use that technique to save horizontal
space.
------------------------------
.. [#zip] If you prefer not to download executable programs, download
|boost_ver|\ ``.zip`` and use an external tool to decompress
it. We don't recommend using Windows' built-in decompression as
it can be painfully slow for large archives.
.. [#packagers] If developers of Boost packages would like to work
with us to make sure these instructions can be used with their
packages, we'd be glad to help. Please make your interest known
to the `Boost developers' list`_.
.. _Boost developers' list: mailing_lists.htm#main
.. [#installer-src] If you used the `Windows installer`_ from Boost
Consulting and deselected “Source and Documentation” (it's
selected by default), you won't see the ``libs/`` subdirectory.
That won't affect your ability to use precompiled binaries, but
you won't be able to rebuild libraries from scratch.
.. _Boost developers' list: mailing_lists.htm#main
.. [#warnings] Remember that warnings are specific to each compiler
implementation. The developer of a given Boost library might
not have access to your compiler. Also, some warnings are
extremely difficult to eliminate in generic code, to the point
where it's not worth the trouble. Finally, some compilers don't
have any source code mechanism for suppressing warnings.
.. [#pch] There's no problem using Boost with precompiled headers;
these instructions merely avoid precompiled headers because it