[boost] Re: build system?

From: Jeff Garland (jeff_at_[hidden])
Date: 2000-07-24 19:00:14

  DA> I saw that paper, but it lacks specific examples of how anything

  True enough.  Once you get to moderately complex, however, I think you are
going to just have to get the book....or trick someone into mapping it out.

  DA> Would you like to volunteer to put something preliminary together
  DA> that uses IMAKE? Then we could evaluate it against other options.

  I guess I should have seen that freight train coming before I got on the
tracks....

  I'm pretty busy, but I may be able to find a few hours over the next
couple weeks to try out a demonstration. That is, unless someone else comes
up with a better strategy in the next couple days.

  Of course, IMAKE isn't going to solve that runtime validation which I
think was part of your original query and I think is really key.  To make
Boost really useful I want to compile Boost with all optimizations (or
whatever combination I choose) with whatever compiler, on whatever OS, and
still be reasonably sure that Boost still runs correctly...ideally by just
running the test suite.  Perhaps, however, that should be a different
discussion thread.

  DA> Yes. As far as I can tell, even a Make expert has to "learn a new
  DA> make system" for each new project.

  I would agree that the developer of a Makefile has to understand a
different system, but the user doesn't need to know much.  For example, I
usually expect to be able to change to a directory and type make (or in VCC
hit the "build" button) and have everything that "needs to" compile just
will.  I expect to have a way to clean up all derived files (make clean),
etc.

  Jeff