Boost.Text: Fixing std::string, and Adding Unicode to Standard C++ (Part 1 of 2)

Join us at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, May 2nd as C++ legend Zach Laine presents "Boost.Text: Fixing std::string, and Adding Unicode to Standard C++ (part 1 of 2)", the biggest two part event since back before they changed Avengers Infinity War 💥 to only be one movie. The show starts at 7:00 🕐, though doors open at 6:30 䦣. Please arrive ahead of time so we can get ready and you can focus on enjoying delicious pizza 🍕, sponsored once again by our friends at Globalscape.

std::string has serious design flaws: its fat interface; its uselessness for editing of very long sequences of characters, and its complete lack of support for text encoding. This talk presents Boost.Text, a proposed library of interoperating types and algorithms.

Boost.Text 📖 tries to do two things. First, it seeks to address the deficiencies 💩 of std::string. Second, it adds an additional layer of full Unicode support for those users that need it (without encumbering users of strings that do not). Both of these are done in a consistent and modern way. This library is intended for eventual standardization.

Zach Laine has been using C++ in industry for 15 years, focusing on data visualization📊, numeric computing🔢, games 🎮, generic programming⛰️, and good library design📚. He finds the process of writing bio blurbs to be a little uncomfortable😅.

The talk will take place at Rackspace's Austin office🏢, located on the East side of IH-35 🛣️ right before Rundberg and after Henna Chevrolet🚗 (there is a sign for Rackspace which is visible from the highway). Feel free to park in the same lot as the big Rackspace flag 🏳️.