C++ is a preeminent language to build lightweight abstractions and integrate them into more complex and efficient software. The Boost libraries are a collection of some of the most highly regarded free, open source, general purpose C++ libraries, which are heavily used in mission-critical software applications across businesses. These libraries have shaped the evolution of the language and its standard libraries through the latest releases of the ISO C++11 and C++14 standards, and continue to majorly influence new and upcoming language and library enhancements. If you are a C++ professional or aspire to be one, you simply cannot ignore the Boost libraries.

Filled with dozens of working code examples that illustrate the use of over forty popular Boost libraries, this book takes you on a tour of Boost, helping you to independently build the libraries from source and use them in your own code. Along the way, it introduces the most nifty new features in C++11 and points out the deviations between Boost libraries and equivalent implementations in the standard library.

The first half of the book focuses on basic programming interfaces including generic containers and algorithms, strings, resource management, exception safety, and a miscellany of programming utilities that make every day programming chores easy. Following a short interlude that introduces template metaprogramming and functional programming, the later chapters are devoted to systems programming interfaces focusing on directory handling, I/O, concurrency, network programming, and inter-process communication. Focused on applying Boost libraries to solve practical programming problems and enhancing application performance, this book also provides you with the foundations necessary to engage with the Boost community and make contributions to it.