Boost C++ Libraries

...one of the most highly regarded and expertly designed C++ library projects in the world. Herb Sutter and Andrei Alexandrescu, C++ Coding Standards

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Quick Start

These complete programs are intended to quickly impress upon readers the flavor of the library. Source code and build scripts for them are located in the example directory.

Use HTTP to make a GET request to a website and print the response:

File: example/http/client/sync/http_client_sync.cpp

#include <boost/beast/core.hpp>
#include <boost/beast/http.hpp>
#include <boost/beast/version.hpp>
#include <boost/asio/connect.hpp>
#include <boost/asio/ip/tcp.hpp>
#include <cstdlib>
#include <iostream>
#include <string>

using tcp = boost::asio::ip::tcp;       // from <boost/asio/ip/tcp.hpp>
namespace http = boost::beast::http;    // from <boost/beast/http.hpp>

// Performs an HTTP GET and prints the response
int main(int argc, char** argv)
{
    try
    {
        // Check command line arguments.
        if(argc != 4 && argc != 5)
        {
            std::cerr <<
                "Usage: http-client-sync <host> <port> <target> [<HTTP version: 1.0 or 1.1(default)>]\n" <<
                "Example:\n" <<
                "    http-client-sync www.example.com 80 /\n" <<
                "    http-client-sync www.example.com 80 / 1.0\n";
            return EXIT_FAILURE;
        }
        auto const host = argv[1];
        auto const port = argv[2];
        auto const target = argv[3];
        int version = argc == 5 && !std::strcmp("1.0", argv[4]) ? 10 : 11;

        // The io_context is required for all I/O
        boost::asio::io_context ioc;

        // These objects perform our I/O
        tcp::resolver resolver{ioc};
        tcp::socket socket{ioc};

        // Look up the domain name
        auto const results = resolver.resolve(host, port);

        // Make the connection on the IP address we get from a lookup
        boost::asio::connect(socket, results.begin(), results.end());

        // Set up an HTTP GET request message
        http::request<http::string_body> req{http::verb::get, target, version};
        req.set(http::field::host, host);
        req.set(http::field::user_agent, BOOST_BEAST_VERSION_STRING);

        // Send the HTTP request to the remote host
        http::write(socket, req);

        // This buffer is used for reading and must be persisted
        boost::beast::flat_buffer buffer;

        // Declare a container to hold the response
        http::response<http::dynamic_body> res;

        // Receive the HTTP response
        http::read(socket, buffer, res);

        // Write the message to standard out
        std::cout << res << std::endl;

        // Gracefully close the socket
        boost::system::error_code ec;
        socket.shutdown(tcp::socket::shutdown_both, ec);

        // not_connected happens sometimes
        // so don't bother reporting it.
        //
        if(ec && ec != boost::system::errc::not_connected)
            throw boost::system::system_error{ec};

        // If we get here then the connection is closed gracefully
    }
    catch(std::exception const& e)
    {
        std::cerr << "Error: " << e.what() << std::endl;
        return EXIT_FAILURE;
    }
    return EXIT_SUCCESS;
}

Establish a WebSocket connection, send a message and receive the reply:

File: example/websocket/client/sync/websocket_client_sync.cpp

#include <boost/beast/core.hpp>
#include <boost/beast/websocket.hpp>
#include <boost/asio/connect.hpp>
#include <boost/asio/ip/tcp.hpp>
#include <cstdlib>
#include <iostream>
#include <string>

using tcp = boost::asio::ip::tcp;               // from <boost/asio/ip/tcp.hpp>
namespace websocket = boost::beast::websocket;  // from <boost/beast/websocket.hpp>

// Sends a WebSocket message and prints the response
int main(int argc, char** argv)
{
    try
    {
        // Check command line arguments.
        if(argc != 4)
        {
            std::cerr <<
                "Usage: websocket-client-sync <host> <port> <text>\n" <<
                "Example:\n" <<
                "    websocket-client-sync echo.websocket.org 80 \"Hello, world!\"\n";
            return EXIT_FAILURE;
        }
        auto const host = argv[1];
        auto const port = argv[2];
        auto const text = argv[3];

        // The io_context is required for all I/O
        boost::asio::io_context ioc;

        // These objects perform our I/O
        tcp::resolver resolver{ioc};
        websocket::stream<tcp::socket> ws{ioc};

        // Look up the domain name
        auto const results = resolver.resolve(host, port);

        // Make the connection on the IP address we get from a lookup
        boost::asio::connect(ws.next_layer(), results.begin(), results.end());

        // Perform the websocket handshake
        ws.handshake(host, "/");

        // Send the message
        ws.write(boost::asio::buffer(std::string(text)));

        // This buffer will hold the incoming message
        boost::beast::multi_buffer buffer;

        // Read a message into our buffer
        ws.read(buffer);

        // Close the WebSocket connection
        ws.close(websocket::close_code::normal);

        // If we get here then the connection is closed gracefully

        // The buffers() function helps print a ConstBufferSequence
        std::cout << boost::beast::buffers(buffer.data()) << std::endl;
    }
    catch(std::exception const& e)
    {
        std::cerr << "Error: " << e.what() << std::endl;
        return EXIT_FAILURE;
    }
    return EXIT_SUCCESS;
}

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