Re: [boost] impl(ementations) - keeping it simple

From: Daryle Walker (darylew_at_[hidden])
Date: 2004-01-28 16:24:10

On 1/25/04 11:23 PM, "John Torjo" <john.lists_at_[hidden]> wrote:

> Again, I'm pretty frustrated that some libraries have source files that
> need to be compiled separately (using bjam).
> 
> I was thinking that we could have a directory '/boost/impl', and each
> library that has sourse files could have an .hpp file that includes all
> of its source files (that would normally need to be compiled separately).
> 
> This way, any user, even not having bjam, can include the implementation
> of a library, as simple as:
> // this is included in ONLY one source file
> #include <boost/impl/filesystem.hpp>

We have some implementation files as *.cpp for a reason.  Some
implementations were _never_ meant to be forced through the #include system
(structure-wise, not just size-wise).  If the files are large, the
compilation time can go up dramatically.

> As a regular user, I'd rather have the above, than having to use bjam to
> build a library.

You wouldn't know it from how most talk about it here, but you don't need to
use Bjam (I don't).  You can include the appropriate Boost files (or search
directories) directly in your IDE project file.  For mandatory source,
finding the file initially, or knowing that they're needed, is the problem.

> If people agree, I volunteer to create the /boost/impl directory for all
> the libraries that now need to be compiled separately, somewhere this week.

I wouldn't agree.  But I do think we need a top-level "src", "boost_src",
"source", or "boost_source" directly that all the mandatory source files
will be moved to for easy access.

-- 
Daryle Walker
Mac, Internet, and Video Game Junkie
darylew AT hotmail DOT com