Filesystem Deprecated Features

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Deprecated names and features

As the library evolves over time, names sometimes change or old features are removed to make way for new features. To ease transition, Boost.Filesystem deprecates the old names and features, but by default continues to provide many of them. The deprecated names and other workarounds can be suppressed by defining macro BOOST_FILESYSTEM_NO_DEPRECATED, and this is recommended for all new code.

In the table, ✔ indicates a synonym or other workaround is provided unless BOOST_FILESYSTEM_NO_DEPRECATED is defined.

Additionally, when not disabled, most of the deprecated components will generate compilation warnings when used. These warnings are intended to highlight the library usage that needs to be updated. For convenience during the transition period, these warnings can be suppressed by defining BOOST_FILESYSTEM_ALLOW_DEPRECATED macro.

*Component or location*	*Old name, now deprecated*	✔	*New name*
`class path`	`branch_path()`	✔	`parent_path()`
`class path`	`canonize()`		Function removed
`class path`	`default_name_check()`	✔	Function removed
`class path`	`default_name_check(name_check)`	✔	Function removed
`class path`	`default_name_check_writable()`	✔	Function removed
`class path`	`directory_string()`	✔	`string`
`class path`	`external_directory_string()`	✔	`native()`
`class path`	`external_file_string()`	✔	`native()`
`class path`	`file_string()`	✔	`string()`
`class path`	`has_branch_path()`	✔	`has_parent_path()`
`class path`	`has_leaf()`	✔	`has_filename()`
`class path`	`is_complete()`	✔	`is_absolute()`
`class path`	`leaf()`	✔	`filename()`
`class path`	`native_directory_string()`	✔	`string()`
`class path`	`native_file_string()`	✔	`string()`
`class path`	`normalize()`	✔	Function removed
`class path`	`path(const string_type& str, name_check)`	✔	Function removed. Workaround ignores `name_check` argument.
`class path`	`path(const string_type::value_type* s, name_check)`	✔	Function removed. Workaround ignores `name_check` argument.
`class path`	`remove_leaf()`	✔	`remove_filename()`
`class path`	Construction, assignment and appending from container types.	✔	Use string types or iterators as the source for path construction, assignment and appending.
`path.hpp`	`template<class String, class Traits> class basic_path;`		Class template `basic_path` is replaced by class `path`. No workaround for an explicitly coded `basic_path` is provided, but see the next row - `path`.
`path.hpp`	`typedef basic_path<std::string, path_traits> path`	✔	`class path`
`path.hpp`	`typedef basic_path<std::wstring, wpath_traits> wpath`	✔	Removed; use `class path` instead. Workaround provides `typedef path wpath`
`operations.hpp`	`initial_path()`	✔	Function removed
`operations.hpp`	`template <class Path> Path complete(const Path& p, const Path& base= initial_path<Path>())`	✔	`path absolute(const path& p, const path& base= current_path())`
`operations.hpp`	`is_regular(file_status f)`	✔	`is_regular_file(file_status f)`
`operations.hpp`	`symbolic_link_exists(const path& ph)`		Function removed
`operations.hpp`	`copy_directory(const path& from, const path& to)`		Function removed, use `create_directory(const path& to, const path& from)` instead (note the reversed order of arguments)
`class directory_entry`	`filename()`	✔	Function removed, use `path().filename()` instead.
`class directory_entry`	`leaf()`	✔	Function removed, use `path().filename()` instead.
`class directory_entry`	`string()`	✔	Function removed, use `path().string()` instead.
`class recursive_directory_iterator`	`level()`	✔	`depth()`
`class recursive_directory_iterator`	`no_push_pending()`	✔	`!recursion_pending()`
`class recursive_directory_iterator`	`no_push()`	✔	`disable_recursion_pending()`
`directory.hpp`	`enum class symlink_option`	✔	Removed; use corresponding values of `enum class directory_options` instead.
`directory.hpp`	`wrecursive_directory_iterator` typedef	✔	Removed; use `class recursive_directory_iterator` instead. Workaround provides `typedef recursive_directory_iterator wrecursive_directory_iterator`
`operations.hpp`	The header provides `filesystem_error`, `file_status`, `directory_entry`, `directory_iterator`, `recursive_directory_iterator` and associated enums and functions.	✔	These components were moved to separate headers `exception.hpp`, `file_status.hpp` and `directory.hpp`. The workaround is to include the new headers or `filesystem.hpp`. The new headers are still included by `operations.hpp` if `BOOST_FILESYSTEM_NO_DEPRECATED` is not defined.
`string_file.hpp`	The header provides utility functions for loading and saving a string to/from file.	✔	The header is deprecated, use a different implementation of these functions. Unavailable if `BOOST_FILESYSTEM_NO_DEPRECATED` is defined and will be permanently removed in a future release.
`path_traits.hpp`	The header contains implementation details of class `path`.	✔	The header is deprecated and should not be used in user's code. Unavailable if `BOOST_FILESYSTEM_NO_DEPRECATED` is defined and will be permanently removed in a future release.
Macro definitions	`BOOST_WINDOW_API`		No longer supported; API selection is always automatic.
Macro definitions	`BOOST_POSIX_API`		No longer supported; API selection is always automatic.
Macro definitions	`BOOST_WINDOW_PATH`		No longer supported; native path format selection is always automatic.
Macro definitions	`BOOST_POSIX_PATH`		No longer supported; native path format selection is always automatic.
Build system	`Auto-linking on Windows`		No longer supported. When users are linking against static library of Boost.Filesystem, they are recommended to explicitly add Boost.Filesystem dependencies to their linker command line. Shared library of Boost.Filesystem is not affected by this as it is already linked with all its dependencies.

Deprecation rationale

`initial_path` function

Full implementation of initial_path() would require support from the C++ runtime startup code, and that doesn't seem likely to happen. Depending on the user to call initial_path() at the beginning of main() is too error prone. An equivalent function can trivially be provided by a user.

Use, modification, and distribution are subject to the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. See www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt

Deprecated names and features

Deprecation rationale

initial_path function

`initial_path` function