Available C++ Libraries FAQ

Commercial libraries (O-Z)

Vettrasoft Z Directory - General-purpose library of c++ objects

• object - database storage. You can store and retrieve objects, so their state can extend beyond the lifetime of a program's run. This is not the same as an o-o database. The Z Directory provides a simple mechanism for writing objects to a database, but it does not supply the database.
• data representation. "Data bags" are a way to store data in text stings. The data may be put into lists or a matrix and can recurse. The format is defined by a meta-data schema. This may sound suspiciously like XML. Once again, the data bag concept pre-dated XML, having existed in the early- to mid-1990's. Whereas XML focuses on HTML and web applications, data bags are to be used by programs written in C++.
• message transport. The problem of moving a block of bytes from one place to another is a major topic in software engineering usually assigned to the category of networks. the Z Directory has code to do it with the following defining characteristics: (1) an address class set is provided to address the topic of defining a location. There are many types of addresses: internet, web, computer memory, e-mail, postal, etc. (2) the interface for moving a block of data over a circuit (a path between an originating and destination address) has no reference to the implementation. Typically the mechanism is sockets, but with the Z Directory, this can also be via shared memory (if within the same host computer), TLI (if within a system V unix environment), or other transport system.
• containers. The Z Directory provides template-based containers to store your data: linked lists, arrays, stacks, and [coming soon] trees. You will probably immediately think STL. the Z Directory's container interface is a bit different, and you might find, simpler. The same member function names are used irregardless of the implementation. Peering into your data in a debugger is much easier than with STL. There are other differences.
• string and text processing. One common complaint opponents of C++ use is the lack of tools for managing strings. The Z Directory attacks and destroys this argument. String operations include regular expression searches; extracting words, sentences, and quoted text sub-strings; trimming lines; string to type conversion; monetary formatting; concatenation; white-space processing; and much more.
• encryption. There are a number of encryption and decryption algorithms available for encrypting your data, including Chambers-Rantgen, DES, and Blowfish.
• postal addresses. Strings containing addresses can be easily parsed. Currently only American addresses are fully handled. We expect to grow this to encompass all addressing formats used world-wide.
• mathematics. Several math functions are provided, including factoring, modulus, GLB and LUB, summation of a series, random number generation, linear regresion, mean averages, standard deviations, angle math and conversion (degree - radian), etc.
• time and date. If you ever need to get the current time/date, and then add or subtract a span of time to/from it, the Z Directory provides unparalled ease for that. You can add say 1 week 3 days and 15 hours to any given date and get the result with only a couple lines of code.
• threads and semaphores. In a Microsoft environment, you would need to use functions such as CreateMutex(), WaitForSingleObject(), and ReleaseMutex(). In some unix environments, the corresponding calls would be pthread_mutex_init(), pthread_mutex_lock(), and pthread_mutex_unlock(). Or, you can use the Z Directory and use a single function call, instead of learning the specifics for each operating system to intend to port to.
• clients and servers. There are a set of classes dealing providing client-server architecture. A dispatch mechanism forwards a message to your message processing code when it arrives to a server.
• error processing, logging, tracing and debugging. An elaborate but general-purpose group of classes help you manage what to do in case of an error, above and beyond the simple mechanics embedded in c++. You can create event logs and control when a message is to be generated. You can control when a message is created, and to where it is to go.
• Files and directories. In Microsoft, directories are called folders. Once again, by using the Z Directory you need not concern yourself with the specifics of any particular operating system. How to read the contents or traverse them is handled by a simple set of classes and routines in the Z Directory. Creating, removing, renaming, opening and closing a file or directory are handled in a portable fashion. You can do things like add text to a file, get a line of text or a specific number of characters.
• more, including: e-mail management; exam questions and answers; money operations; packetization; HTML operations; and classes for worldy items such as people, businesses, and telephones.

One fact: Z Directory is devoid of graphics utilities. Writing tools for GUI programming is a specialized, big, never-ending work sink. We have decided to focus on more 'framework' issues. Also, there are plenty of libraries out there dealing with GUIs and graphics.

Operating Systems

• PC Windows

Compilers

• Visual C++

Added : 2012-04-25 Amended: 2012-04-25 Licensing : Commercial

Vettrasoft Z Directory - General-purpose library of c++ objects
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• Submitted by:Gorth Durak