Boost C++ Libraries: Ticket #1904: undefined reference to `boost::program_options::options_description::m_default_line_length'

status changed; resolution set

Vladimir Prus — Sat, 17 May 2008 06:18:38 GMT

status new → closed
resolution → invalid

The current behaviour is as designed -- options_description.hpp declares m_default_line_length. options_description.cpp has the definition. The error most likely means that you did not link your application to the program_options library.

milestone deleted

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:20:34 GMT

milestone Boost 1.35.1

Milestone Boost 1.35.1 deleted

patbob@… — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:59:58 GMT

I get this bug on Windows (VC++ 7.0 (2005)), boost 1.37.0. I am linking with program_options library. Perhaps this global is getting defined in some random boost library, but it certainly isn't in program_options lib where it belongs.

The value is declared, but not defined.. at least, not in the program_options library where it belongs.

If you get this error, provide an explicit line length to the options_description constructor so it doesn't try to use m_default_line_length. Like this:

po::options_description desc("Options", 1024);

I'm leaving this bug closed since it probably isn't a proiblem for most users... just windows users :)

patbob@… — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:54:40 GMT

Problem "solved" -- for me, this issue was related to bug #2506 (program_options::arg undefined. Win DLL).

Need to define BOOST_PROGRAM_OPTIONS_DYN_LINK when using program options on windows in a DLL.

milestone set

okobyzev@… — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:42:41 GMT

milestone → To Be Determined

it does not work on fresh GCC compilers also gcc -v Using built-in specs. COLLECT_GCC=gcc COLLECT_LTO_WRAPPER=/usr/lib64/gcc/x86_64-suse-linux/4.6/lto-wrapper Target: x86_64-suse-linux

so I think it need to be fixed

anonymous — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:16:37 GMT

I can confirm this bug with the newest version of gcc (i.e. 4.6)

anonymous — Thu, 07 Nov 2013 09:58:34 GMT

I got the same problem when I come to make gearmand1.1.11, I try to fix the /usr/local/boost/include/boost/program_options/options_description.hpp on line 175 static const unsigned m_default_line_length but it does not work for me , my god

Raffi Enficiaud — Fri, 30 May 2014 14:38:09 GMT

I have the same problem. I use program_option through cmake, using the following define:

BOOST_ALL_NO_LIB

since I do not want autolink feature.

The two variables mentioned in this thread are not found at link time unless I define explicitely

BOOST_ALL_DYN_LINK

I do not have this problem with boost.system, boost.thread, boost.test and boost.chrono for instance. Looking at the config.h file, every define look fine (boost.program_options and boost.system). It looks like an incoherence in cmake find_boost module: the link is against the dynamic variants if Boost_USE_STATIC_LIBS is set to OFF, but the BOOST_ALL_DYN_LINK is not defined in Boost and should be defined manually.