Trouble using boost/thread headers with clang++ (Windows)

Question

I'm trying to use Boost.Thread on Windows using clang++.

While including boost/thread.hpp, I'm getting the following compile errors:

Using -DBOOST_USE_WINDOWS_H:

In file included from D:/env/boost/boost_1_58_0\boost/thread.hpp:13:
In file included from D:/env/boost/boost_1_58_0\boost/thread/thread.hpp:12:
In file included from D:/env/boost/boost_1_58_0\boost/thread/thread_only.hpp:15:
In file included from D:/env/boost/boost_1_58_0\boost/thread/win32/thread_data.hpp:11:
D:/env/boost/boost_1_58_0\boost/thread/win32/thread_primitives.hpp:223:67: error: conflicting types for 'GetProcAddress'
                __declspec(dllimport) detail::farproc_t __stdcall GetProcAddress(void *, const char *);
                                                                  ^
/mingw/include\winbase.h:1675:27: note: previous declaration is here
WINBASEAPI FARPROC WINAPI GetProcAddress(HINSTANCE,LPCSTR);
                          ^
In file included from D:/env/boost/boost_1_58_0\boost/thread/thread_only.hpp:15:
In file included from D:/env/boost/boost_1_58_0\boost/thread/win32/thread_data.hpp:11:
D:/env/boost/boost_1_58_0\boost/thread/win32/thread_primitives.hpp:223:67: warning: redeclaration of 'GetProcAddress' should not add 'dllimport' attribute [-Wdll-attribute-on-redeclaration]
                __declspec(dllimport) detail::farproc_t __stdcall GetProcAddress(void *, const char *);
                                                                  ^
/mingw/include\winbase.h:1675:27: note: previous declaration is here
WINBASEAPI FARPROC WINAPI GetProcAddress(HINSTANCE,LPCSTR);
                          ^
In file included from D:\Documents\solid\solid\Solid.clion\src\Concurrent\tests\ThreadPoolTests.cpp:11:

In file included from D:/env/boost/boost_1_58_0\boost/thread.hpp:13:
In file included from D:/env/boost/boost_1_58_0\boost/thread/thread.hpp:12:
In file included from D:/env/boost/boost_1_58_0\boost/thread/thread_only.hpp:15:
In file included from D:/env/boost/boost_1_58_0\boost/thread/win32/thread_data.hpp:11:
D:/env/boost/boost_1_58_0\boost/thread/win32/thread_primitives.hpp:225:56: error: functions that differ only in their return type cannot be overloaded
                __declspec(dllimport) void * __stdcall GetModuleHandleA(const char *);
                                                       ^
/mingw/include\winbase.h:1648:27: note: previous declaration is here
WINBASEAPI HMODULE WINAPI GetModuleHandleA(LPCSTR);
                          ^

In file included from D:/env/boost/boost_1_58_0\boost/thread.hpp:13:
In file included from D:/env/boost/boost_1_58_0\boost/thread/thread.hpp:12:
In file included from D:/env/boost/boost_1_58_0\boost/thread/thread_only.hpp:15:
In file included from D:/env/boost/boost_1_58_0\boost/thread/win32/thread_data.hpp:11:
D:/env/boost/boost_1_58_0\boost/thread/win32/thread_primitives.hpp:225:56: warning: redeclaration of 'GetModuleHandleA' should not add 'dllimport' attribute [-Wdll-attribute-on-redeclaration]
                __declspec(dllimport) void * __stdcall GetModuleHandleA(const char *);
                                                       ^
/mingw/include\winbase.h:1648:27: note: previous declaration is here
WINBASEAPI HMODULE WINAPI GetModuleHandleA(LPCSTR);
                          ^

In file included from D:/env/boost/boost_1_58_0\boost/thread.hpp:13:
In file included from D:/env/boost/boost_1_58_0\boost/thread/thread.hpp:12:
In file included from D:/env/boost/boost_1_58_0\boost/thread/thread_only.hpp:15:
In file included from D:/env/boost/boost_1_58_0\boost/thread/win32/thread_data.hpp:11:
D:/env/boost/boost_1_58_0\boost/thread/win32/thread_primitives.hpp:229:63: warning: redeclaration of 'GetTickCount' should not add 'dllimport' attribute [-Wdll-attribute-on-redeclaration]
                __declspec(dllimport) unsigned long __stdcall GetTickCount();
                                                              ^
/mingw/include\winbase.h:1758:25: note: previous declaration is here
WINBASEAPI DWORD WINAPI GetTickCount(VOID);
                        ^

Not using -DBOOST_USE_WINDOWS_H:

mingw32-make.exe[1]: *** [src/Core/CMakeFiles/Core.dir/all] Error 2
In file included from /mingw/include\windows.h:50:
/mingw/include\winbase.h:1358:26: error: conflicting types for 'CreateEventA'
WINBASEAPI HANDLE WINAPI CreateEventA(LPSECURITY_ATTRIBUTES,BOOL,BOOL,LPCSTR);
                         ^
D:/env/boost/boost_1_58_0\boost/thread/win32/thread_primitives.hpp:166:55: note: previous declaration is here
                __declspec(dllimport) void* __stdcall CreateEventA(_SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES*,int,int,char const*);
                                                      ^
In file included from /mingw/include\windows.h:50:
/mingw/include\winbase.h:1386:26: error: conflicting types for 'CreateMutexA'
WINBASEAPI HANDLE WINAPI CreateMutexA(LPSECURITY_ATTRIBUTES,BOOL,LPCSTR);
                         ^
D:/env/boost/boost_1_58_0\boost/thread/win32/thread_primitives.hpp:164:55: note: previous declaration is here
                __declspec(dllimport) void* __stdcall CreateMutexA(_SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES*,int,char const*);
                                                      ^
In file included from /mingw/include\windows.h:50:
/mingw/include\winbase.h:1412:26: error: conflicting types for 'CreateSemaphoreA'
WINBASEAPI HANDLE WINAPI CreateSemaphoreA(LPSECURITY_ATTRIBUTES,LONG,LONG,LPCSTR);
                         ^
D:/env/boost/boost_1_58_0\boost/thread/win32/thread_primitives.hpp:165:55: note: previous declaration is here
                __declspec(dllimport) void* __stdcall CreateSemaphoreA(_SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES*,long,long,char const*);
                                                      ^
In file included from /mingw/include\windows.h:50:
/mingw/include\winbase.h:1492:24: error: conflicting types for 'FileTimeToLocalFileTime'
WINBASEAPI BOOL WINAPI FileTimeToLocalFileTime(CONST FILETIME *,LPFILETIME);
                       ^
D:/env/boost/boost_1_58_0\boost/date_time/filetime_functions.hpp:58:45: note: previous declaration is here
        __declspec(dllimport) int __stdcall FileTimeToLocalFileTime(const FILETIME* lpFileTime, FILETIME* lpLocalFileTime);
                                            ^
In file included from /mingw/include\windows.h:50:
/mingw/include\winbase.h:1648:27: error: functions that differ only in their return type cannot be overloaded
WINBASEAPI HMODULE WINAPI GetModuleHandleA(LPCSTR);
                          ^
D:/env/boost/boost_1_58_0\boost/thread/win32/thread_primitives.hpp:225:56: note: previous declaration is here
                __declspec(dllimport) void * __stdcall GetModuleHandleA(const char *);
                                                       ^
In file included from /mingw/include\windows.h:50:
/mingw/include\winbase.h:1675:27: error: conflicting types for 'GetProcAddress'
WINBASEAPI FARPROC WINAPI GetProcAddress(HINSTANCE,LPCSTR);
                          ^
D:/env/boost/boost_1_58_0\boost/thread/win32/thread_primitives.hpp:223:67: note: previous declaration is here
                __declspec(dllimport) detail::farproc_t __stdcall GetProcAddress(void *, const char *);
                                                                  ^
In file included from /mingw/include\windows.h:50:
/mingw/include\winbase.h:1729:24: error: conflicting types for 'GetSystemTime'
WINBASEAPI VOID WINAPI GetSystemTime(LPSYSTEMTIME);
                       ^
D:/env/boost/boost_1_58_0\boost/date_time/filetime_functions.hpp:59:46: note: previous declaration is here
        __declspec(dllimport) void __stdcall GetSystemTime(SYSTEMTIME* lpSystemTime);
                                             ^
In file included from /mingw/include\windows.h:50:
/mingw/include\winbase.h:1734:24: error: conflicting types for 'GetSystemTimeAsFileTime'
WINBASEAPI void WINAPI GetSystemTimeAsFileTime(LPFILETIME);
                       ^
D:/env/boost/boost_1_58_0\boost/date_time/filetime_functions.hpp:57:46: note: previous declaration is here
        __declspec(dllimport) void __stdcall GetSystemTimeAsFileTime(FILETIME* lpFileTime);
                                             ^
In file included from /mingw/include\windows.h:50:
/mingw/include\winbase.h:2159:24: error: conflicting types for 'SystemTimeToFileTime'
WINBASEAPI BOOL WINAPI SystemTimeToFileTime(const SYSTEMTIME*,LPFILETIME);
                       ^
D:/env/boost/boost_1_58_0\boost/date_time/filetime_functions.hpp:60:45: note: previous declaration is here
        __declspec(dllimport) int __stdcall SystemTimeToFileTime(const SYSTEMTIME* lpSystemTime, FILETIME* lpFileTime);
                                            ^

Answer 1

Had similar issue and fixed it using the boost_system argument flag. Try this:

clang++ test.cpp -lboost_thread -lboost_system

Here's my clang info:

~$clang++ --version
  clang version 3.2 (trunk 163783)
  Target: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
  Thread model: posix

This works with g++ too:

~$g++ --version
  g++ (GCC) 4.9.2
  Copyright (C) 2014 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
  This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is NO
  warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

Also, have a look at these threads here:

Compiling C++ source file using Boost.Thread

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/19017335/cmake-force-use-of-non-mt-boost-libraries

Answer 2

I've just run across this trying to run include-what-you-use on a project under windows.

The program compiles fine with QT creator but to get it to compile with include-what-you-use I had to add -DBOOST_USE_WINDOWS_H to the compile and to block out the extern "C" block at line 220ish in 'thread_primitives.hpp' with #ifndef _APISETLIBLOADER_...#endif

At least I know that's safe, but it's not at all clear why it doesn't work normally.