[/
  Copyright (c) Vladimir Batov 2009-2014
  Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0.
  See copy at http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt.
]

[section Introduction]

['Boost.Convert] builds on the `boost::lexical_cast` experience and takes those type conversion\/transformation-related ideas further

* to be applicable to a wider range of conversion-related deployment scenarios,
* to provide a more flexible, configurable and extendible type-conversion framework,
* to provide generic consistent behavior,
* to ['unify and to uniformly deploy] various conversion facilities ['through one consistent interface].

['Boost.Convert] provides new and familiar conversion\/transformation-related functionality such as:

* means to deploy types that do not meet the [@http://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/concept/DefaultConstructible ['Default Constructibility]] requirement;
* four types of the conversion-failure ['detection]:
    * as part of the same process flow -- basic and generic;
    * as a branched process flow -- exception-based and function-based;
* the choice of immediate or delayed exception-throwing and non-throwing conversion-failure ['processing];
* flexibility of conversion-failure ['processing] via:
    * an exception thrown;
    * the fallback value returned;
    * the fallback function called;
* support for standard algorithms.

['Boost.Convert] consists of two components:

* the `boost::convert()` user interface;
* an extendible collection of pluggable converters.

The `boost::convert()` user interface

* advertises, provides and ensures certain ['consistent behavior];
* unifies and provides ['one consistent interface] to various conversion facilities.

The collection of pluggable converters is independent of the `boost::convert()` API facade and is designed to be ['extendible] and extended over time. Currently the following converters are provided:

* `boost::lexical_cast`-based,
* `printf/scanf`-based,
* `strtol`-inspired,
* `std::stringstream`-based,
* `boost::spirit`-based.

The converters provide new and familiar functionality and demonstrate how existing and independent conversion facilities might be incorporated in to the ['Boost.Convert] framework. For example, the `std::stream`-based converter draws on the standard `std::streams` functionality and provides:

* string-to-type and type-to-string conversions;
* formatting support (`std::ios`-based precision, base, upper/lower-case, scientific, etc.);
* support for different `locale`s;
* `char` and `wchar_t` support.

[import ../example/algorithms.cpp]

[algorithm_introduction]

[endsect] [/section Introduction]