[boost] Re: RFP: boost libraries

From: David Abrahams (david.abrahams_at_[hidden])
Date: 2002-05-02 09:11:05

Background for people on the boost developers list: the cygwin project
has asked us if we have an interest in publishing boost packages for
cygwin.

Let me try to explain the situation (somebody please cross-post this to
cygwin-apps_at_[hidden] since I don't have posting privileges there):

* Boost is a collection of libraries

* Most of these libraries are just C++ templates in header files

* Three of these libraries have built components

* There is already a DLL version of the Boost.Regex and Python libs (the
static lib version of Boost.Python is available but deprecated).

* The threads lib consists of static and dynamic components on Win32,
unless you want it to use pthreads-win32 (an extra layer of indirection
and overhead). I don't think there is a more-appropriate configuration

* Nobody has decided what an appropriate unix-style installation for
boost would look like (where the headers live, how the libs should be
named and versioned, what symlinks to make, etc.). We need guidance on
this. Normally we tell people to download the boost tree, put the root
in their #include path, build the libraries, manually collect them and
put them wherever they want. There has been increasing dissatisfaction
with this approach.

I'd very much like to solve the latter problem; it is generating a huge
amount of wasted effort on my part and others'.

-Dfave

----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Collins" <robert.collins_at_[hidden]>

Heh,
Currently I use the regex boost library in a project, and it
occurred to me that as they are a really good resource, so it would be a
help to the community to have them available...

I certainly don't have time, nor much of an itch myself. There's plenty
of work that could be done in terms of dllising and so forth... but that
is all optional.

Cheers,
Rob

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jason Tishler [mailto:jason_at_[hidden]]
> Sent: Thursday, May 02, 2002 10:48 PM

> I suggest you post your query to the boost developers list yourself,
> but if you'd rather send me something I can post it for you... but it
> would be much more convenient for me if I wasn't an intermediary for
> something I don't know much about ;-)

Sorry, but I don't (currently) have the itch -- I was just trying to
help out Rob.  I'll leave it to him to pursue, if interested.

Thanks,
Jason