Quote:Original post by MrEvil
I recommend/use boost::spirit, boost::thread, boost::lambda, phoenix, boost::lexical_cast, boost::shared_ptr (occasionally), boost::filesystem and boost::datetime.

hmmm you left you out boost::mpl & boost preprocessor [grin].

Quote:Original post by Lord Maz
Still haven't got boost to install correctly, but I would use it if I could.

Quote:Original post by Lord Maz
I am using mingw (the version that comes with dev-c++) but calling bjam and including the root path gives me a couple of hundred errors. It nags alot about VC++ mumbo-jumbo - maybe because I'm also using the VC++ compiler?

I had the same problem (without VC++ installed even), and ignored boost for a while. Later (a few months ago) when I really wanted some of the stuff in there, I googled around for a few hours and found an obscure post on one of the boost mailing lists by someone with the same problem (I think posted in 2004, not sure).
They never actually found out what the problem was, but it turned out that compiling it from MSYS (available from the MinGW site if you haven't installed it yet, it's optional) was a workaround. Works for me, but I'm not really happy about all the time it cost me to find out about it [headshake]. Hope this helps.

I've used some things in boost.. such as regex, graph, smart_ptr, and serialization. Most of their libraries are straightforward and easy to use.

However, there are some that are just absolute abuses of C++ and templates in particular (IMHO).. And others can be notoriously complex, like the boost:graph library, for which there is actually a 300+ page book + CD-ROM on how to use it.

Properly used, I don't have anything against boost. However, as with any libraries/classes, use it wisely. I was recently on a development team who would use boost objects for everything they could. One component they wrote was a dataset class which functioned like a virtual table. During system tests they found that to populate the dataset with 100 fields and 50000 rows would take 40 seconds, and sucked up 50MB of RAM so they called me to take a look at it. Boost EVERYWHERE. As a proof of concept, I re-wrote the class in 4 hours to use simple stl lists/vectors and other basic classes, while maintaining the same functionality and interface. The difference? The test ran in under a second and used less than 5MB of memory.

I realize this is an extreme case, but after seeing how some people abuse 3rd-party libraries claiming it will "solve all their problems" really makes me consider them a last resort.

This is just my opinion.. using good quality 3rd-party libraries rather than reinventing the wheel is generally a good thing. Just be sure to use them wisely.

- Boost.Bind is so much better than std::bind(1st|2nd) that I'd consider it a requirement for anyone trying to use STL-style programming.
- Boost.Shared_Ptr is often the easiest, decently-performing way to deal with heap memory.
- Boost.Filesystem is possibly the best way to use files, since there's no portable way to do many things it does. Same with Boost.Date_Time.
- Boost.Function ( with Boost.Bind or Boost.Lambda ) makes callbacks so much easier to use.
- Boost.Conversion is an extremely convenient wrapper for simple string->data or data->string conversion. Boost.Format can also be used for more precise formatting of data->string without needing explicit streams or manipulators.

In Short: Use it.

Fury does have a point though. Use it when it's helpful, not 'cause it's "cool".