[boost] Re: Recent changes to intel compiler config

From: Markus Werle (numerical.simulation_at_[hidden])
Date: 2003-11-18 05:50:06

David Abrahams wrote:

> I guess that's their problem, since AFAICT we're unable to properly
> detect all the conditions which say whether wchar_t is supported.

Though I appreciate any effort to create a new, modern and 
reliable build system I strongly disagree here.

A build system that has no autoconfiguration property like
GNU-autoconf/-make/-header kicks us right back to the
middle-age where we fiddled around with imakefiles and
other design problems that hinder plug'n'play.

If I decide to have this or that flag on, I expect
no library in use to bail out, but to build smoothly.
Library::obey() && Library::disregard_then_missing_functionality(). 

The way compilers and compiler versions are handled 
is the weakest part of the boost libarary (your OP
just mentioned another peak of iceberg).

If boost::build does not serve as a drop-in replacement
for the GNU-autotools then it is no true alternative to ever 
consider. 

I strongly _hope_ boost::build will detect things like wchar_t 
automagically, since this is what the UNIX world taught us:
to handle the chaos between 32/64 bit, POSIX, SystemV, BSD, Linux 
and the OS some detect problems with.

best regards,

Markus (still writing configure.in and Makefile.am)

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