boost

Boost is a collection of free, peer‑reviewed portable C++ source libraries maintained by the Boost Software Foundation. The libraries are designed to extend the C++ standard library and provide well‑designed, reusable components that work across a wide range of compilers and platforms.

Among its widely used components are Boost.Asio for asynchronous input/output, Boost.Thread for threading, Boost.Filesystem for filesystem operations, Boost.Regex, Boost.Date_Time, Boost.System, and Boost.Container, among many others. The project emphasizes portability, quality, and evolution, and several Boost libraries have influenced or been incorporated into the C++ standard library.

History and governance: Boost began in 1998 as a community‑driven effort to provide robust, freely accessible C++ libraries. It is developed by volunteers and companies worldwide. The Boost Software Foundation administers the project, with a council and a design‑review process. Libraries are peer‑reviewed and must meet criteria for documentation, testing, and portability.

License and distribution: All libraries are distributed under the Boost Software License, version 1.0 (BSL‑1.0), a permissive open‑source license compatible with many projects. Build and distribution: Boost.Build (b2) is the traditional build system; Boost libraries are also usable with CMake and are available on Windows, macOS, and Linux via source releases and package managers.

Note: The term Boost can refer to other products or brands; in computing, it most commonly denotes the Boost C++ Libraries.