Why was CXXGraph created?

[davidljung]

I see that CXXGraph says it is an alternative to Boost's BGL, but I can't find any mention of why an alternative is wanted? I assume, given CXXGraph was created after BGL, that there must have been some driving need or use-case not satisfied by BGL - can you say what that is somewhere on the site? For developers looking for a graph library and needing to make a decision between options, including CXXGraph and BGL, what does CXXGraph bring to the table? (is it easier to use than BGL?)
Thanks.

[ZigRazor]

Thank you for your question @davidljung! CXXGraph was created as a modern alternative to Boost's BGL, addressing several key areas where BGL falls short for many developers.

Here’s why CXXGraph is better:

Simplicity and Ease of Use: CXXGraph is designed to be much easier to use than BGL. Its API is more intuitive, and it avoids the steep learning curve that BGL is often criticized for. This makes CXXGraph a great choice for developers looking for a straightforward graph library without the complexity of BGL.

Modern C++ Standards: CXXGraph is built using modern C++ (C++17 and beyond), which provides a cleaner and more efficient coding experience. BGL, being older, is designed around outdated C++ standards, making CXXGraph a better option for developers who prefer up-to-date language features.

Lightweight and Performance-Oriented: CXXGraph focuses on core graph operations without the heavy overhead that comes with BGL’s extensive but often unnecessary feature set. This makes it a more lightweight and efficient solution for many applications, reducing both memory footprint and complexity.

Flexibility and Customizability: CXXGraph allows developers to more easily customize and extend the library, something that can be cumbersome with BGL’s more rigid architecture. This gives CXXGraph the edge for projects where flexibility is key.

In short, CXXGraph offers a simpler, more modern, and more efficient approach to working with graphs in C++, making it a strong alternative to BGL, especially for developers looking for a lightweight and easy-to-use solution.

[sbaldu]

I would also highlight that CXXGraph provides out-of-the-box a lot of complex algorithms which are often used when working with graphs (shortest paths, spanning trees, partitioning, etc.)