Getting Boost.Ratio

Boost.Ratio is part of Boost, so you get it as part of the Boost release.

Building Boost.Ratio

Boost.Ratio is a header only library, so no need to compile anything, you just need to include <boost/ratio.hpp>.

Building an executable that uses Boost.Ratio

No link is needed.

Exception safety

All functions in the library are exception-neutral, providing the strong exception safety guarantee.

Thread safety

All functions in the library are thread-unsafe except when noted explicitly.

Supported compilers

Boost.Ratio should work with any C++11 conforming compiler.

This example illustrates the use of type-safe physics code interoperating with boost::chrono::duration types, taking advantage of the Boost.Ratio infrastructure and design philosophy.

Let's start by defining a length class template that mimics boost::chrono::duration, which represents a time duration in various units, but restricts the representation to double and uses Boost.Ratio for length unit conversions:

template <class Ratio>
class length {
private:
    double len_;
public:
    typedef Ratio ratio;
    length() : len_(1) {}
    length(const double& len) : len_(len) {}

    template <class R>
    length(const length<R>& d)
            : len_(d.count() * boost::ratio_divide<Ratio, R>::type::den /
                               boost::ratio_divide<Ratio, R>::type::num) {}

    double count() const {return len_;}

    length& operator+=(const length& d) {len_ += d.count(); return *this;}
    length& operator-=(const length& d) {len_ -= d.count(); return *this;}

    length operator+() const {return *this;}
    length operator-() const {return length(-len_);}

    length& operator*=(double rhs) {len_ *= rhs; return *this;}
    length& operator/=(double rhs) {len_ /= rhs; return *this;}
};

Here's a small sampling of length units:

typedef length<boost::ratio<1> >          meter;        // set meter as "unity"
typedef length<boost::centi>              centimeter;   // 1/100 meter
typedef length<boost::kilo>               kilometer;    // 1000  meters
typedef length<boost::ratio<254, 10000> > inch;         // 254/10000 meters

Note that since length's template parameter is actually a generic ratio type, so we can use boost::ratio allowing for more complex length units:

typedef length<boost::ratio_multiply<boost::ratio<12>, inch::ratio>::type>   foot;  // 12 inchs
typedef length<boost::ratio_multiply<boost::ratio<5280>, foot::ratio>::type> mile;  // 5280 feet

Now we need a floating point-based definition of seconds:

typedef boost::chrono::duration<double> seconds;                         // unity

We can even support sub-nanosecond durations:

typedef boost::chrono::duration<double,  boost::pico> picosecond;  // 10^-12 seconds
typedef boost::chrono::duration<double, boost::femto> femtosecond; // 10^-15 seconds
typedef boost::chrono::duration<double,  boost::atto> attosecond;  // 10^-18 seconds

Finally, we can write a proof-of-concept of an SI units library, hard-wired for meters and floating point seconds, though it will accept other units:

template <class R1, class R2>
class quantity
{
    double q_;
public:
    typedef R1 time_dim;
    typedef R2 distance_dim;
    quantity() : q_(1) {}

    double get() const {return q_;}
    void set(double q) {q_ = q;}
};

template <>
class quantity<boost::ratio<1>, boost::ratio<0> >
{
    double q_;
public:
    quantity() : q_(1) {}
    quantity(seconds d) : q_(d.count()) {}  // note:  only User1::seconds needed here

    double get() const {return q_;}
    void set(double q) {q_ = q;}
};

template <>
class quantity<boost::ratio<0>, boost::ratio<1> >
{
    double q_;
public:
    quantity() : q_(1) {}
    quantity(meter d) : q_(d.count()) {}  // note:  only User1::meter needed here

    double get() const {return q_;}
    void set(double q) {q_ = q;}
};

template <>
class quantity<boost::ratio<0>, boost::ratio<0> >
{
    double q_;
public:
    quantity() : q_(1) {}
    quantity(double d) : q_(d) {}

    double get() const {return q_;}
    void set(double q) {q_ = q;}
};

That allows us to create some useful SI-based unit types:

typedef quantity<boost::ratio<0>, boost::ratio<0> >  Scalar;
typedef quantity<boost::ratio<1>, boost::ratio<0> >  Time;         // second
typedef quantity<boost::ratio<0>, boost::ratio<1> >  Distance;     // meter
typedef quantity<boost::ratio<-1>, boost::ratio<1> > Speed;        // meter/second
typedef quantity<boost::ratio<-2>, boost::ratio<1> > Acceleration; // meter/second^2

To make quantity useful, we need to be able to do arithmetic:

template <class R1, class R2, class R3, class R4>
quantity<typename boost::ratio_subtract<R1, R3>::type,
         typename boost::ratio_subtract<R2, R4>::type>
operator/(const quantity<R1, R2>& x, const quantity<R3, R4>& y)
{
    typedef quantity<typename boost::ratio_subtract<R1, R3>::type,
                    typename boost::ratio_subtract<R2, R4>::type> R;
    R r;
    r.set(x.get() / y.get());
    return r;
}

template <class R1, class R2, class R3, class R4>
quantity<typename boost::ratio_add<R1, R3>::type,
         typename boost::ratio_add<R2, R4>::type>
operator*(const quantity<R1, R2>& x, const quantity<R3, R4>& y)
{
    typedef quantity<typename boost::ratio_add<R1, R3>::type,
                    typename boost::ratio_add<R2, R4>::type> R;
    R r;
    r.set(x.get() * y.get());
    return r;
}

template <class R1, class R2>
quantity<R1, R2>
operator+(const quantity<R1, R2>& x, const quantity<R1, R2>& y)
{
    typedef quantity<R1, R2> R;
    R r;
    r.set(x.get() + y.get());
    return r;
}

template <class R1, class R2>
quantity<R1, R2>
operator-(const quantity<R1, R2>& x, const quantity<R1, R2>& y)
{
    typedef quantity<R1, R2> R;
    R r;
    r.set(x.get() - y.get());
    return r;
}

With all of the foregoing scaffolding, we can now write an exemplar of a type-safe physics function:

Distance
compute_distance(Speed v0, Time t, Acceleration a)
{
    return v0 * t + Scalar(.5) * a * t * t;  // if a units mistake is made here it won't compile
}

Finally, we can exercise what we've created, even using custom time durations (User1::seconds) as well as Boost time durations (boost::chrono::hours). The input can be in arbitrary, though type-safe, units, the output is always in SI units. (A complete Units library would support other units, of course.)

int main()
{
    typedef boost::ratio<8, BOOST_INTMAX_C(0x7FFFFFFFD)> R1;
    typedef boost::ratio<3, BOOST_INTMAX_C(0x7FFFFFFFD)> R2;
    typedef User1::quantity<boost::ratio_subtract<boost::ratio<0>, boost::ratio<1> >::type,
                             boost::ratio_subtract<boost::ratio<1>, boost::ratio<0> >::type > RR;
    typedef boost::ratio_subtract<R1, R2>::type RS;
    std::cout << RS::num << '/' << RS::den << '\n';


    std::cout << "*************\n";
    std::cout << "* testUser1 *\n";
    std::cout << "*************\n";
    User1::Distance d( User1::mile(110) );
    User1::Time t( boost::chrono::hours(2) );

    RR r=d / t;
    //r.set(d.get() / t.get());

    User1::Speed rc= r;

    User1::Speed s = d / t;
    std::cout << "Speed = " << s.get() << " meters/sec\n";
    User1::Acceleration a = User1::Distance( User1::foot(32.2) ) / User1::Time() / User1::Time();
    std::cout << "Acceleration = " << a.get() << " meters/sec^2\n";
    User1::Distance df = compute_distance(s, User1::Time( User1::seconds(0.5) ), a);
    std::cout << "Distance = " << df.get() << " meters\n";
    std::cout << "There are "
        << User1::mile::ratio::den << '/' << User1::mile::ratio::num << " miles/meter";
    User1::meter mt = 1;
    User1::mile mi = mt;
    std::cout << " which is approximately " << mi.count() << '\n';
    std::cout << "There are "
        << User1::mile::ratio::num << '/' << User1::mile::ratio::den << " meters/mile";
    mi = 1;
    mt = mi;
    std::cout << " which is approximately " << mt.count() << '\n';
    User1::attosecond as(1);
    User1::seconds sec = as;
    std::cout << "1 attosecond is " << sec.count() << " seconds\n";
    std::cout << "sec = as;  // compiles\n";
    sec = User1::seconds(1);
    as = sec;
    std::cout << "1 second is " << as.count() << " attoseconds\n";
    std::cout << "as = sec;  // compiles\n";
    std::cout << "\n";
    return 0;
}

See the source file example/si_physics.cpp