Boost install on Windows

June 4, 2020

The Boost library brings useful features to C++ that are not yet in STL. For example, the C++17 filesystem library was in Boost for several years before becoming part of the C++ standard.

The Boost install requires several hundred megabytes in general. macOS Homebrew and Linux users can install from a package manager.

On Windows, installing Boost from the Boost binary distribution takes a lengthy build procedure. Most Visual Studio developers can use vcpkg to install Boost. Those using GCC or Clang on Windows can install MSYS2 Boost.