Cannot deserialize std::list<std::string>

Question

#include <boost/serialization/list.hpp>
#include <boost/serialization/string.hpp>
class SerializableSmth 
{
    friend class boost::serialization::access;
    private:
        std::list<std::string> data;
        template<class Archive> void serialize(Archive & ar, unsigned int version)
        {
            ar & data;
        }
};
BOOST_CLASS_VERSION(SerializableSmth, 1);

A first look on the problem: when data contains strings longer than ~7 characters, it can't be serialized back. A serialized text_oarchive would look like this:

22 serialiation::archive 10 0 1 0 0 2 0 5 test1 13 test2-914166-

(when test2- is shortened to 5 test2-, it works ok).

---

This occurs when using text_oarchive over std::stringstream to serialize and boost::iostreams::basic_array to deserialize.

Answer 1

The problem seems to be getting fixed by boost::archive::no_header | boost::archive::no_codecvt flags set on both output and input archives.

Answer 2

I cannot reproduce it, but maybe this SSCCE can help you spot the problem:

See it Live On Coliru

#include <boost/archive/text_iarchive.hpp>
#include <boost/archive/text_oarchive.hpp>
#include <boost/serialization/list.hpp>
#include <boost/serialization/string.hpp>

#include <boost/iostreams/device/array.hpp>
#include <boost/iostreams/stream.hpp>

#include <sstream>

class SerializableSmth 
{
    public:
    void init() {
        for  (int i=0; i<100; ++i) {
            data.push_back("Some fairly long string " + std::to_string(i) + " with a number");
        }
    }
    friend class boost::serialization::access;

    std::list<std::string> data;
    template<class Archive> void serialize(Archive & ar, unsigned int version)
    {
        ar & data;
    }
};

BOOST_CLASS_VERSION(SerializableSmth, 1);

#include <iostream>

int main()
{
    std::string serialized;
    {
        std::stringstream ss;
        boost::archive::text_oarchive oa(ss);

        SerializableSmth original;
        original.init();

        oa << original;

        serialized = ss.str();
    }

    {
        boost::iostreams::basic_array_source<char> as(serialized.data(), serialized.size());
        boost::iostreams::stream<boost::iostreams::basic_array_source<char> > is(as);

        // now let's see it back:
        boost::archive::text_iarchive ia(is);

        SerializableSmth cloned;
        ia >> cloned;
        std::cout << "Cloned data has " << cloned.data.size() << " records\n";
    }
}

Prints

Cloned data has 100 records

as expected

The serialized data is a single line of ~4.5kB:

22 serialization::archive 10 0 1 0 0 100 0 39 Some fairly long string 0 with a number 39 Some fairly long string 1 with a number 39 Some fairly long string 2 with a number 39 Some fairly long string 3 with a number 39 Some fairly long string 4 with a number 39 Some fairly long string 5 with a number 39 Some fairly long string 6 with a number 39 Some fairly long string 7 with a number 39 Some fairly long string 8 with a number 39 Some fairly long string 9 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 10 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 11 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 12 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 13 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 14 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 15 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 16 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 17 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 18 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 19 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 20 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 21 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 22 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 23 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 24 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 25 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 26 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 27 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 28 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 29 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 30 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 31 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 32 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 33 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 34 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 35 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 36 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 37 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 38 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 39 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 40 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 41 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 42 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 43 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 44 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 45 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 46 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 47 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 48 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 49 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 50 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 51 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 52 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 53 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 54 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 55 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 56 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 57 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 58 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 59 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 60 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 61 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 62 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 63 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 64 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 65 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 66 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 67 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 68 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 69 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 70 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 71 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 72 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 73 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 74 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 75 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 76 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 77 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 78 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 79 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 80 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 81 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 82 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 83 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 84 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 85 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 86 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 87 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 88 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 89 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 90 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 91 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 92 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 93 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 94 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 95 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 96 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 97 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 98 with a number 40 Some fairly long string 99 with a number