Boost.PolyCollection: fast containers of polymorphic objects.

Typically, polymorphic objects cannot be stored directly in regular containers and need be accessed through an indirection pointer, which introduces performance problems related to CPU caching and branch prediction. Boost.PolyCollection implements a novel data structure that is able to contiguously store polymorphic objects without such indirection, thus providing a value-semantics user interface and better performance. Three polymorphic collections are provided:

• boost::base_collection
• boost::function_collection
• boost::any_collection

dealing respectively with classic base/derived or OOP polymorphism, function wrapping in the spirit of std::function and so-called duck typing as implemented by Boost.TypeErasure.

• Online docs
• Seminal article at bannalia.blogspot.com

• Download Boost and you're ready to go (this is a header-only library requiring no building).
• Using Conan 2: In case you don't have it yet, add an entry for Boost in your conanfile.txt (the example requires at least Boost 1.86):

[requires]
boost/[>=1.86.0]

If you're not using any compiled Boost library, the following will skip building altogether:

[options]
boost:header_only=True

• Using vcpkg: Execute the command

vcpkg install boost-poly-collection

• Using CMake: Boost CMake support infrastructure allows you to use CMake directly to download, build and consume all of Boost or some specific libraries.

• Join the #boost discussion group at cpplang.slack.com (ask for an invite if you’re not a member of this workspace yet)
• Ask in the Boost Users mailing list (add the [poly_collection] tag at the beginning of the subject line)
• File an issue

• Pull requests against develop branch are most welcome. Note that by submitting patches you agree to license your modifications under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0.