Tips and Tricks

Consider using std::vector<> for buffers over raw arrays and boost::array

A buffer variable for use with read and write operations could be defined:

  char buffer[max_size];

or:

  boost::array<char, max_size> buffer;

or:

  std::vector<char> buffer(max_size);

Consider using this last form based on std::vector<>, as it allows your application to use buffer debugging.

Repeating timers

Asio has a rather good deadline timer, but try using it as a repeating timer and you will come into difficulties when attempting to cancel it.

This is an interesting example of an implementaion of a repeating timer which is basd on the basic_deadline_timer and uses its implementaion and service to acheive a safe repeating time which is cancellable. This timer provides a guarante that the async callback will not be invoked when the cancel returns.

"Stopping the io_service from running out-of-work" continued.

In addition to the great Boost.Asio docs consider combining boost::asio::io_service::work with boost::optional:

boost::optional<io_service::work> work_io_service_guard(
    boost::in_place(boost::ref(work_io_service)));
boost::thread_group work_threads;
for (std::size_t i = 0; i != work_thread_count; ++i)
{
  work_threads.create_thread(
      boost::bind(&io_service::run, boost::ref(work_io_service)));
}
// add some work for work_io_service
work_io_service_guard = boost::none;
work_threads.join_all();

It's more lightweight than using std::auto_ptr - it uses stack instead of heap to allocate io_service::work instance.