[[Image(ImprovingBoostDocs:ibdp.png,nolink)]]

   * [ImprovingBoostDocs Improving Boost Docs]
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      * [HelpingBoostAuthors Helping Boost Authors]
      * [GlueDocsProject Glue docs project]
      * '''[StandardCppLibraryDocumentation Standard C++ Library Docs]'''
      * [DocumentationBestPractices Documentation Best Practices]
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[[Image(standard_cpp_boosted_documentation.png,nolink)]]

[[PageOutline(2-5,Table of contents,inline)]]

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== Introduction ==

The goal of this documentary subproject is to produce concept and reference documentation for the Standard Template Library. Although much of this is very nicely documented and made available by [http://www.sgi.com/tech/stl/ SGI], there are several reasons that Boost should provide a set of documents under its own umbrella. As a stated goal in the Boost charter, "We aim to establish 'existing practice'" and many libraries documents espouse "Best Practices". This project falls under these auspices. This project aims to establish existing practice for providing concept and reference documetnation for C++ libraries.

Additional benefits in developing these documents include, a) a unified look and feel for STL+Boost documents and b) closer control over their content and presentation of the information. Essentially, this gives us a chance to work out more effective ways of presenting concept and reference material - which could be interesting with concepts becoming a major part of the new C++0x standard.

Most documentation for generic libraries can be cleanly divided into two different parts: concept documents and reference documents.

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== Concept Documents ==
Concepts documents describe the requirements on types (both built-in and user-defined) in order for them to be used with classes and functions provided by the library.

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== Reference Documents ==
Reference documents defines the actual types and functions used by developers. Despite common practice reference documentation should be more than simply listing namespaces, classes, and functions. Good reference documents should provide examples and advice for "Best Practices".

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== Active developers ==

[[Br]][[Image(People:no_picture.png,50)]]
[[Br]]'''Andrew Sutton'''
[[Br]][http://www.ohloh.net/projects/3/contributors/37263 Ohloh Statistics]
[[Br]]''asutton at cs dot kent dot edu''

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   * [ImprovingBoostDocs Improving Boost Docs]
      * [ImprovingBoostDocs About this project]
      * [BoostDocsRepository Boost docs repository]
      * [UnifiedLookAndFeelProject Unified look & feel project]
      * [HelpingBoostAuthors Helping Boost Authors]
      * [GlueDocsProject Glue docs project]
      * '''[StandardCppLibraryDocumentation Standard C++ Library Docs]'''
      * [DocumentationBestPractices Documentation Best Practices]
      * [DocumentationTools Documentation Tools]
      * [ImprovingBoostDocsSubprojects Subprojects]
      * [BrowserTestingChart Browser Testing Chart]
      * [LibrariesLogos Logo Playground]

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