How important is Boost to learn for C++ developers? [closed]

Question

I am curious to learn Boost. But I wanted to ask:

• How important is it to make the effort to learn Boost?
• What prerequisites should one have before jumping on Boost?

Why I am curious to know about Boost is that many people are talking about Boost on IRC's channels and here in StackOverflow.

Answer 1

I think anyone that is seriously considering C++ development as a career should learn Boost, and learn it well. Once you get into serious programming you will realize how beneficial these libraries can be and how much more productive they can make you. Not only are they cross-platform, but once you get into data crunching with large numbers, the math libraries especially will seem like a gift from above.

Answer 2

As a game developer, I've been shocked by how many people don't know about Boost. I've mentioned it to contacts in various game studios and not only is it frequently not used (is licensing or porting it a problem?) but many people haven't even heard of it. This leads me to believe that from a career perspective, it's not actually critical to learn Boost, but from a personal development standpoint, it is definitely vital. :)