How to use boost::program_options to accept an optional flag?

A convenient way to do this is with the bool_switch functionality:

bool flag = false;

namespace po = boost::program_options;

po::options_description desc("options");

desc.add_options()
  ("flag,f", po::bool_switch(&flag), "description");
po::variables_map vm;
//store & notify

if (flag) {
  // do stuff
}

This is safer than manually checking for the string (string only used once in whole definition).

Use it as usual but without any value:

boost::program_options::options_description od("allowed options");
od.add_options()
    ("flag,f", "description");

po::variables_map vm;
// store/ notify vm
if (vm.count("flag")) {
    // flag is set
}

See the Getting Started option help as an example.