Re: [Boost-build] Using bjam in the sandbox

Subject: Re: [Boost-build] Using bjam in the sandbox
From: Edward Diener (eldiener_at_[hidden])
Date: 2009-12-05 16:28:09

Vladimir Prus wrote:
> Edward Diener wrote:
> 
> 
>>> I agree that the error message is not exactly clear. Nor is the link
>>> direct enough.
>>>
>>> At present I recommend you to
>>>
>>> - set environment variable BOOST_BUILD_PATH to <boost-root>/tools/build/v2
>>> - set environment variable BOOST_ROOT to <boost-root>
>>> - let me know if any sandbox library fails to work with those settings. I'll
>>> fix logging shortly.
>> I set both BOOST_BUILD_PATH and BOOST_ROOT and tried bjam in the sandbox
>> logging directory. I no longer get any errors. My output is now:
>>
>> "warning: No toolsets are configured.
>> warning: Configuring default toolset "msvc".
>> warning: If the default is wrong, your build may not work correctly.
>> warning: Use the "toolset=xxxxx" option to override our guess.
>> warning: For more configuration options, please consult
>> warning:
>> http://boost.org/boost-build2/doc/html/bbv2/advanced/configuration.html
>>
>> ...found 1 target..."
>>
>> I am glad it is no longer giving me errors but that last line is not
>> very informative either. What target has been found ? 
> 
> 'all' ;-)

Sorry for the late reply.

> 
>> Has anything been
>> built ? This is the sort of thing that always bothers me about using
>> bjam. I think the output needs to be informative enough to tell the user
>> what has happened.
> 
> How about:
> 
> 	Nothing to do (no file targets found)
> 
> for the above cases, and
> 
> 	Nothing to do (13 file targets up-to-date)
> 
> in case of a project that actually has something to build?

Sounds good ! That way the user at least knows when nothing seems to happen.

> 
>>> For future, what would you say about the following wording:
>>>
>>>         Boost.Build could not be located.
>>>
>>>         The Boost.Build startup module, 'bootstrap.jam', could not be found.
>>>         The search was performed in:
>>>
>>>         - Directories given by the BOOST_BUILD_PATH environment variable:
>>>           - currently none
>>>         - In the directory of bjam.exe:
>>>           - c:/something/
>>>
>>>         Please see <direct link to reference> for further details.
>>>
>>> Note that this is not a wording change only -- it depends on some behaviour
>>> changes to be done first.
>> The above is much more informative.
> 
> OK. I've added this to my todo for 1.42

Great ! Thanks !

> 
>>>> In particular, is there some Boost.Build documentation
>>>> which explains how .bjam files are found ? I do not see this as a topic
>>>> heading anywhere in the Boost.Build v2 documentation.
>>> Does http://tinyurl.com/ybocjzv answer your questions? (This link is outside
>>> Boost, since there are some site problems, that should resolve in 24 hours)
>> Yes, that explains it well. But should not there be docs on how .bjam
>> files are found in general ? Does all finding of .bjam files follow the
>> same rules as explained in that link, ie. up the file hierarchy and then
>> in the directories of BOOST_BUILD_PATH ? If not, then you should explain
>> how .bjam search actually works. In either case it would be welcome if
>> there were a general topic in the Boost Build doc of how Boost Build
>> finds .bjam files.
> 
> I think the only other context when Boost.Build is searching for .jam files
> is when either 'import' or 'using' statement is found somewhere. In that case
> the named module is searched for in BOOST_BUILD_PATH, only. I've added a
> todo item to document this.

OK. That makes it easier to understand how bjam locates jamfiles.