RE: [boost] Re: build system?

From: Paul A. Bristow (pbristow_at_[hidden])
Date: 2000-07-25 11:53:04

Personally I would prefer NOT to receive HTML messages.

Causes annoying attempt to connect and worries about viruses,
and isn't that much clearer.

If formatting is essential, Rich Text Format .rtf which is macro free is OK,
but not everyone can easily read it.

Sorry

Paul

Dr Paul A. Bristow, hetp Chromatography
4 Victoria Road, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5HN   UK
Phone [phone] FAX & Voicemail [phone]
email mailto:pbristow_at_[hidden]

-----Original Message-----
From: Jeff Garland [mailto:jeff_at_[hidden]]
Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2000 1:00 AM
To: boost_at_[hidden]
Subject: [boost] Re: build system?

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