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| 26 | <div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title"> |
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| 27 | <a name="boostbook.introduction"></a>Chapter 16. Introduction</h2></div></div></div> |
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| 28 | <p>The BoostBook documentation format is an extension of <a href="http://www.docbook.org" target="_top">DocBook</a>, an SGML- or |
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| 29 | XML-based format for describing documentation. BoostBook augments |
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| 30 | DocBook with semantic markup that aids in the documentation of C++ |
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| 31 | libraries, specifically the <a href="http://www.boost.org" target="_top">Boost C++ libraries</a>, by |
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| 32 | providing the ability to express and refer to C++ constructs such |
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| 33 | as namespaces, classes, overloaded functions, templates, and |
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| 34 | specializations.</p> |
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| 35 | <p> |
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| 36 | BoostBook offers additional features more specific to its use for |
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| 37 | documenting the <a href="http://www.boost.org" target="_top">Boost C++ |
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| 38 | libraries</a>. These features are intended to eliminate or |
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| 39 | reduce the need for duplication of information and to aid in |
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| 40 | documenting portions of Boost that might otherwise not be |
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| 41 | documented. Examples of Boost-centric features include: |
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| 42 | </p> |
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| 43 | <div class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"> |
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| 44 | <li><p><span class="bold"><strong>Testsuites</strong></span>: |
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| 45 | Testsuites in Boost are created by writing an appropriate |
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| 46 | Jamfile and including that Jamfile in |
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| 47 | <code class="filename">status/Jamfile</code>. If the testsuites are |
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| 48 | documented (<a href="http://www.boost.org/libs/multi_array/doc/test_cases.html" target="_top">as |
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| 49 | in the MultiArray library</a>), the documentation is |
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| 50 | maintained separately from the testcase Jamfile, leading to |
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| 51 | duplication of information and the possibility of having the |
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| 52 | documentation out of sync with the Jamfile. BoostBook |
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| 53 | contains elements that describe a testsuite for both |
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| 54 | purposes: the BoostBook stylesheets can generate |
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| 55 | documentation for the testcases and also generate an |
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| 56 | appropriate Jamfile to integrate the testcases with the |
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| 57 | regression testing system.</p></li> |
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| 58 | <li> |
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| 59 | <p><span class="bold"><strong>Example programs</strong></span>: |
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| 60 | Example programs in documentation need to be duplicated in |
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| 61 | testcases to ensure that the examples compile and execute |
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| 62 | correctly. Keeping the two copies in sync is a tedious and |
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| 63 | error-prone task. For instance, the following code snippet |
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| 64 | persisted for six months:</p> |
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| 65 | <pre class="programlisting"> |
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| 66 | std::cout << f(5, 3) >> std::endl; |
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| 67 | </pre> |
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| 68 | <p>The BoostBook format allows testcases to be generated |
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| 69 | by weaving together program fragments from example programs |
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| 70 | in the documentation. This capability is integrated with |
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| 71 | testsuite generation so that example programs are normal |
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| 72 | tests in BoostBook.</p> |
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| 73 | </li> |
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| 74 | </ul></div> |
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| 75 | </div> |
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| 76 | <table width="100%"><tr> |
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| 77 | <td align="left"></td> |
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| 78 | <td align="right"><small>Copyright © 2003-2005 Douglas Gregor</small></td> |
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| 79 | </tr></table> |
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