API - Design, Programming

This book shows you how to write robust and elegant Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) with a focus on the C++ programming language. The progression of chapters in this book roughly follows the standard evolution of an API, from initial design choices, through implementation decisions, versioning, documentation, and testing. The book also includes details on more advanced topics, such as creating scripting and plugin interfaces for your C++ APIs, as well as covering details on how to create static and shared libraries for your API implementation.

First think of the consumer of the API. Think about his likely situation and the problems he's facing. He doesn't want to learn a new abstraction and he doesn't like the fact that your API is going to make him change the design of his program. Design for the benefit of the consumer, not your ease of implementation.

Boost provides free peer-reviewed portable C++ source libraries. We emphasize libraries that work well with the C++ Standard Library. Boost libraries are intended to be widely useful, and usable across a broad spectrum of applications. The Boost license encourages both commercial and non-commercial use. We aim to establish "existing practice" and provide reference implementations so that Boost libraries are suitable for eventual standardization. Ten Boost libraries are already included in the C++ Standards Committee's Library Technical Report (TR1) and will be in the new C++0x Standard now being finalized. C++0x will also include several more Boost libraries in addition to those from TR1. More Boost libraries are proposed for TR2.

Listing with descriptions of a large number of C++ libraries, both commercial and free.

CMake is an extensible, open-source system that manages the build process in an operating system and in a compiler-independent manner. Unlike many cross-platform systems, CMake is designed to be used in conjunction with the native build environment. Simple configuration files placed in each source directory (called CMakeLists.txt files) are used to generate standard build files (e.g., makefiles on Unix and projects/workspaces in Windows MSVC) which are used in the usual way. CMake can generate a native build environment that will compile source code, create libraries, generate wrappers and build executables in arbitrary combinations. CMake supports in-place and out-of-place builds, and can therefore support multiple builds from a single source tree. CMake also supports static and dynamic library builds. Another nice feature of CMake is that it generates a cache file that is designed to be used with a graphical editor. For example, when CMake runs, it locates include files, libraries, and executables, and may encounter optional build directives. This information is gathered into the cache, which may be changed by the user prior to the generation of the native build files.

Developing Database Applications Using MySQL Connector/C++.

The list is broken down into several categories, including: Generic, Script Integration, Text Manipulation, Threading, Signalling and Parallel-Programming, Numerical, Algorithmic and Crypto, Network and Web Programming, Multimedia, File Format, GUI, Device Access, Testing and Debugging, Database Engine/Interface, Science, and Financial.

Modern, powerful open source C++ class libraries and frameworks for building network- and internet-based applications that run on desktop, server and embedded systems.

Visual C++ libraries documented.