1<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
2<!DOCTYPE library PUBLIC "-//Boost//DTD BoostBook XML V1.0//EN"
3  "http://www.boost.org/tools/boostbook/dtd/boostbook.dtd">
4<library name="Function" dirname="function" id="function"
5         last-revision="$Date$"
6         xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude">
7<libraryinfo>
8  <author>
9    <firstname>Douglas</firstname>
10    <surname>Gregor</surname>
11    <email>dgregor -at- cs.indiana.edu</email>
12  </author>
13
14  <copyright>
15    <year>2001</year>
16    <year>2002</year>
17    <year>2003</year>
18    <year>2004</year>
19    <holder>Douglas Gregor</holder>
20  </copyright>
21
22  <legalnotice>
23    <para>Use, modification and distribution is subject to the Boost
24    Software License, Version 1.0. (See accompanying file
25    <filename>LICENSE_1_0.txt</filename> or copy at <ulink
26    url="http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt">http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt</ulink>)</para>
27  </legalnotice>
28
29  <librarypurpose>Function object wrappers for deferred calls or callbacks</librarypurpose>
30  <librarycategory name="category:higher-order"/>
31</libraryinfo>
32
33<title>Boost.Function</title>
34
35<section id="function.intro">
36<title>Introduction</title>
37<para>The Boost.Function library contains a family of class templates
38that are function object wrappers. The notion is similar to a
39generalized callback. It shares features with function pointers in
40that both define a call interface (e.g., a function taking two integer
41arguments and returning a floating-point value) through which some
42implementation can be called, and the implementation that is invoked
43may change throughout the course of the program.</para>
44
45<para> Generally, any place in which a function pointer would be used
46to defer a call or make a callback, Boost.Function can be used instead
47to allow the user greater flexibility in the implementation of the
48target. Targets can be any 'compatible' function object (or function
49pointer), meaning that the arguments to the interface designated by
50Boost.Function can be converted to the arguments of the target
51function object.</para>
52</section>
53
54<xi:include href="history.xml"/>
55<xi:include href="tutorial.xml"/>
56<xi:include href="reference.xml"/>
57<xi:include href="faq.xml"/>
58<xi:include href="misc.xml"/>
59<xi:include href="tests.xml"/>
60
61</library>
62