Boost C++ Libraries

...one of the most highly regarded and expertly designed C++ library projects in the world. — Herb Sutter and Andrei Alexandrescu, C++ Coding Standards

This is the documentation for an old version of boost. Click here for the latest Boost documentation.

`polymorphic_downcast` example

#include <boost/polymorphic_cast.hpp>
...
class Fruit { public: virtual ~Fruit(){}; ... };
class Banana : public Fruit { ... };
...
void f( Fruit * fruit ) {
  // ... logic which leads us to believe it is a Banana
  Banana * banana = boost::polymorphic_downcast<Banana*>(fruit);
  ...
}