How do I encode a string to base64 using only boost?

Here is my solution. It uses the same basic technique as the other solutions on this page, but solves the problem of the padding in what I feel is a more elegant way. This solution also makes use of C++11.

I think that most of the code is self explanatory. The bit of math in the encode function calculates the number of '=' characters we need to add. The modulo 3 of val.size() the remainder, but what we really want is the difference between val.size() and the next number divisible by three. Since we have the remainder we can just subtract the remainder from 3, but that leaves 3 in the case that we want 0, so we have to modulo 3 one more time.

#include <boost/archive/iterators/binary_from_base64.hpp>
#include <boost/archive/iterators/base64_from_binary.hpp>
#include <boost/archive/iterators/transform_width.hpp>
#include <boost/algorithm/string.hpp>

std::string decode64(const std::string &val) {
    using namespace boost::archive::iterators;
    using It = transform_width<binary_from_base64<std::string::const_iterator>, 8, 6>;
    return boost::algorithm::trim_right_copy_if(std::string(It(std::begin(val)), It(std::end(val))), [](char c) {
        return c == '\0';
    });
}

std::string encode64(const std::string &val) {
    using namespace boost::archive::iterators;
    using It = base64_from_binary<transform_width<std::string::const_iterator, 6, 8>>;
    auto tmp = std::string(It(std::begin(val)), It(std::end(val)));
    return tmp.append((3 - val.size() % 3) % 3, '=');
}

You could use beast's implementation.

For boost version 1.71, the functions are:

boost::beast::detail::base64::encode()
boost::beast::detail::base64::encoded_size()
boost::beast::detail::base64::decode()
boost::beast::detail::base64::decoded_size()

From #include <boost/beast/core/detail/base64.hpp>

For older versions back to beast's inclusion in 1.66, the functions are:

boost::beast::detail::base64_encode()
boost::beast::detail::base64_decode()

From #include <boost/beast/core/detail/base64.hpp>

I improved the example in the link you provided a little:

#include <boost/archive/iterators/base64_from_binary.hpp>
#include <boost/archive/iterators/insert_linebreaks.hpp>
#include <boost/archive/iterators/transform_width.hpp>
#include <boost/archive/iterators/ostream_iterator.hpp>
#include <sstream>
#include <string>
#include <iostream>


int main()
{
    using namespace boost::archive::iterators;

    std::string test = "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Fusce ornare ullamcorper ipsum ac gravida.";

    std::stringstream os;
    typedef 
        insert_linebreaks<         // insert line breaks every 72 characters
            base64_from_binary<    // convert binary values to base64 characters
                transform_width<   // retrieve 6 bit integers from a sequence of 8 bit bytes
                    const char *,
                    6,
                    8
                >
            > 
            ,72
        > 
        base64_text; // compose all the above operations in to a new iterator

    std::copy(
        base64_text(test.c_str()),
        base64_text(test.c_str() + test.size()),
        ostream_iterator<char>(os)
    );

    std::cout << os.str();
}

This prints the string encoded base64 nicely formated with a line break every 72 characters onto the console, ready to be put into an email. If you don't like the linebreaks, just stay with this:

    typedef 
        base64_from_binary<
           transform_width<
                const char *,
                6,
                8
            >
        > 
        base64_text;