[/==============================================================================
    Copyright (c) 2007-2012 Barend Gehrels, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
    Copyright (c) 2008-2012 Bruno Lalande, Paris, France.
    Copyright (c) 2009-2012 Mateusz Loskot, London, UK., London, UK

    Use, modification and distribution is subject to the Boost Software License,
    Version 1.0. (See accompanying file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at
    http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt)
===============================================================================/]

[section Compilation]

[def __msvc__ MSVC]
[def __stlport__ [@http://sourceforge.net/projects/stlport STLport]]

[caution Boost.Geometry in Boost 1.73 deprecates support for the C++03 and will require C++14 from Boost 1.75 onwards]

__boost_geometry__ is a headers-only library. Users only need to include the 
library headers in their programs in order to be able to access definitions 
and algorithms provided by the __boost_geometry__ library. No linking against 
any binaries is required. 

__boost_geometry__ is only dependant on headers-only __boost__ libraries.
It does not introduce indirect dependencies on any binary libraries.

In order to be able to use __boost_geometry__, the only thing users need to do 
is to download and/or install Boost  and specify location to include 
directories, so `include` directives of this scheme will work:

    #include <boost/...>

[heading Supported Compilers]

__boost_geometry__ library source code should successfully compile using any compiler with complete C++14 support.

For the actual list of currently tested compilers, check results of the library CI builds linked
from the [@https://github.com/boostorg/geometry/blob/develop/README.md README.md]
or inspect the CI services configuration files in the [@https://github.com/boostorg/geometry/tree/develop develop branch]
of the library repository.

__boost_geometry__ uses __boost_bb__, a text-based system for developing and 
testing software, to configure, build and execute unit tests and example 
programs. The build configuration is provided as a collection of `Jamfile` 
files.

For gcc, flag [^-Wno-long-long] can be used to surpress some warnings 
originating from Boost.

[heading Includes]

The most convenient headerfile including all algorithms and strategies is 
`geometry.hpp`:

    #include <boost/geometry.hpp>

This is the main header of the __boost_geometry__ library and it is 
recommended to include this file.

Alternatively, it is possible to include __boost_geometry__ header files 
separately. However, this may be inconvenient as header files might be renamed 
or moved occasionaly in future.

Another often used header is `geometries.hpp`:

    #include <boost/geometry/geometries/geometries.hpp>

This includes definitions of all provided geometry types:

* point, 
* linestring,
* polygon,
* ring,
* multi_point,
* multi_linestring,
* multi_polygon,
* box,
* segment.

The file `geometries.hpp` is not included in 
the `geometry.hpp` headerfile because users should be given the liberty to use 
their own geometries and not the provided ones. However, for the 
__boost_geometry__ users who want to use the provided geometries it is useful 
to include.

[heading Advanced Includes]

Users who have their own geometries and want to use algorithms from 
__boost_geometry__ might include the files containing registration 
macro's, like:

    #include <boost/geometry/geometries/register/point.hpp>

[heading Performance]

The enumeration below is not exhaustive but can contain hints to improve the 
performance:

* For Microsoft __msvc__, set define `_SECURE_SCL=0` for preprocessor.
* For Microsoft __msvc__, set define `_HAS_ITERATOR_DEBUGGING=0` for preprocessor.
* Use of __stlport__, a popular open-source implementation of the STL, may result in
  significantly faster code than use of the C++ standard library provided by __msvc__.
* Turn on compiler optimizations, compile in release mode.

[heading Problems with Intellisense]

Both versions of __msvc__, 2005 and 2008 (including Express Editions) can hang 
trying to resolve symbols and give [@http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IntelliSense 
IntelliSense] suggestions while typing in a bracket or angle bracket.
This is not directly related to __boost_geometry__, but is caused by problems 
with handling by this IDE large C++ code base with intensively used templates, 
such as Boost and __boost_geometry__. If this is inconvenient, IntelliSense 
can be turned off:

[:['["(...)disabling IntelliSense in VC++. There is a file called `feacp.dll` in
`<VS8INSTALL>/VC/vcpackages` folder. Renaming this file will disable Intellisense feature.]]

-- [@http://blogs.msdn.com/yash/archive/2007/09/19/intellisense-issues-in-visual-c-2005.aspx Intellisense issues in Visual C++ 2005] 
]


[endsect] [/ end of Compilation]
