| 3 | | = Boost Header policy = #intro |
| 4 | | |
| 5 | | Header files are the place where a library comes into |
| 6 | | contact with user code and other libraries. To co-exist |
| 7 | | peacefully and productively, headers must be "good |
| 8 | | neighbors". |
| 9 | | |
| 10 | | Here are the standards for boost headers. Many of these are |
| 11 | | also reasonable guidelines for general use. |
| 12 | | |
| 13 | | |
| 14 | | * Header filenames should have a .hpp (lowercase) extension. |
| 15 | | * Unless multiple inclusion is intended, wrap the header in |
| 16 | | #ifndef guards. Use a naming convention that minimizes the |
| 17 | | chance of clashes with macro names from other's code. The |
| 18 | | [#SampleHeader sample header] uses the Boost |
| 19 | | convention of all uppercase letters, with the header name |
| 20 | | prefixed by the namespace name, and suffixed with HPP, |
| 21 | | separated by underscores. |
| 22 | | * Wrap the header contents in a namespace to prevent global |
| 23 | | namespace pollution. The namespace approach to pollution |
| 24 | | control is strongly preferred to older approaches such as |
| 25 | | adding funny prefixes to global names. Libraries which are |
| 26 | | designed to work well with other Boost libraries should be |
| 27 | | placed in namespace `boost`. |
| 28 | | * Make sure that a translation unit consisting of just the |
| 29 | | contents of the header file will compile successfully. |
| 30 | | * Place the header file in a sub-directory to prevent |
| 31 | | conflict with identically named header files in other |
| 32 | | libraries. The parent directory is added to the compiler's |
| 33 | | include search path. Then both your code and user code |
| 34 | | specifies the sub-directory in `#include` directives. |
| 35 | | Thus the header [#SampleHeader sample header] |
| 36 | | would be included by `#include <boost/furball.hpp>` |
| 37 | | * The preferred ordering for class definitions is public |
| 38 | | members, protected members, and finally private members. |
| 39 | | * Include the boost/config.hpp |
| 40 | | [http://www.boost.org/doc/libs/release/libs/config/config.htm configuration header] |
| 41 | | if there is a need to deal with compiler or |
| 42 | | platform configuration issues. |
| 43 | | |
| 44 | | == Sample Header == #SampleHeader |
| 45 | | |
| 46 | | {{{ |
| 47 | | #!html |
| 48 | | <pre> |
| 49 | | // Boost general library furball.hpp header file ---------------------------// |
| 50 | | |
| 51 | | <<i> Copyright and license notice</i>, as indicated in the <a href= |
| 52 | | "http://www.boost.org/users/license.html">license page</a> > |
| 53 | | |
| 54 | | // See http://www.boost.org/ for latest version. |
| 55 | | |
| 56 | | #ifndef BOOST_FURBALL_HPP |
| 57 | | #define BOOST_FURBALL_HPP |
| 58 | | |
| 59 | | namespace boost { |
| 60 | | |
| 61 | | // Furball class declaration -----------------------------------------------// |
| 62 | | |
| 63 | | class furball |
| 64 | | { |
| 65 | | public: |
| 66 | | void throw_up(); |
| 67 | | private: |
| 68 | | int whatever; |
| 69 | | }; // furball |
| 70 | | |
| 71 | | } // namespace |
| 72 | | |
| 73 | | #endif // include guard |
| 74 | | </pre> |
| 75 | | }}} |
| 76 | | |
| 77 | | == Coding Style == #style |
| 78 | | |
| 79 | | The alert reader will have noticed that the |
| 80 | | [#SampleHeader sample header] employs a certain coding |
| 81 | | style for indentation, positioning braces, commenting ending |
| 82 | | braces, and similar formatting issues. These stylistic issues |
| 83 | | are viewed as personal preferences and are not part of the |
| 84 | | Boost Header Policy. |
| 85 | | |
| 86 | | Copyright Beman Dawes 1998. |
| | 3 | This has been move back to the [http://www.boost.org/development/header.html main site] |
