Boost.Thread enables the use of multiple threads of execution with shared data in portable C++ code. It provides classes and functions for managing the threads themselves, along with others for synchronizing data between the threads or providing separate copies of data specific to individual threads.

The Boost.Thread library was originally written and designed by William E. Kempf (version 1).

Anthony Williams version (version 2) was a major rewrite designed to closely follow the proposals presented to the C++ Standards Committee, in particular N2497, N2320, N2184, N2139, and N2094

Vicente J. Botet Escriba started (version 3) the adaptation to comply with the accepted Thread C++11 library (Make use of Boost.Chrono and Boost.Move) and the Shared Locking Howard Hinnant proposal except for the upward conversions. Some minor non-standard features have been added also as thread attributes, reverse_lock, shared_lock_guard.

In order to use the classes and functions described here, you can either include the specific headers specified by the descriptions of each class or function, or include the master thread library header:

#include <boost/thread.hpp>

which includes all the other headers in turn.