[boost] Re: Documentation

From: David Abrahams (dave_at_[hidden])
Date: 2004-06-13 11:18:59

"David B. Held" <dheld_at_[hidden]> writes:

> "David Abrahams" <dave_at_[hidden]> wrote in message
> news:ufz8zsm8j.fsf_at_boost-consulting.com...
>> [...]
>> Doesn't this explain a bit?
>>
>> http://www.boost.org/more/getting_started.html#Results
>
> Well, it explains how the compiled libraries are named, which is
> exactly why I want to know the best way to link Boost.Test against
> a test program for another Boost library.  Since the library name
> contains the version number of Boost, I want to know if the Jamfile
> that builds *my* test should hardwire that version number into
> the name it looks for the library or not.  Not only that, but how do
> I make Jam automatically look under the corresponding platform?
> It doesn't seem like a good idea to write the Jamfile for just one
> platform, or create a separate file for every platform.  Obviously,
> I haven't read up enough on Jam to know whether I can answer
> some of these questions myself.  But some of them seem like
> they probably don't have obvious answers anyway.  For instance,
> as a test writer, should I assume that the user who is building my
> test already built Boost.Test and installed it in the default location,
> or should I try to handle a case in which the user, say, installed
> the library in a system directory of some sort?  I don't see answers
> to these questions in any of the references pointed to, but maybe
> I'm just not looking closely enough.
>
> Just to be concrete, let me give an example of what I mean:
>
> exe my_test
>         : <lib>libboost_test-gcc-1_31.a
>           my_test.cpp
>         : <include>$(BOOST_ROOT)
>     ;
>
> I'm pretty sure this is not the ideal way to write the Jamfile, but
> at first blush, it seems the most obvious way, pending better
> answers to my questions.  I don't even know if that is the right
> syntax for linking to an external library or not.
>
> Dave

Dave, I appreciate your problem, but I'm out of time to answer
(trying to finish writing a book by tomorrow).  Rene knows the
answers and I'm hoping he'll follow up with you on this thread.

Cheers,
-- 
Dave Abrahams
Boost Consulting
http://www.boost-consulting.com