[boost] Re: Customer Friendlier Boost Installation

From: Jeff Flinn (TriumphSprint2000_at_[hidden])
Date: 2005-05-25 07:47:05

"Paul A Bristow" <pbristow_at_[hidden]> wrote in message 
news:E1DarwS-0004uN-KK_at_he303war.uk.vianw.net...
> Recently we had a flurry of discussion of why Boost is not more widely 
> used.

...

> But if we are to interest your average Windows IDE programmer, for whom 
> MAKE
> is a blank or a distant nightmare, IMO we need some much better and 
> simpler
> instructions, including lots of examples of input and output, and to be as
> well tested as the rest of Boost code.  Like it or not, these are the
> potential customers and I spoken to many who are put off by the 'build
> barrier'.
>
> I suggest that we explicitly say that you can use all of Boost (except the
> ones that must have built libraries) by adding to the include list - and 
> say
> exactly how in Windows IDE-ese.

Something like this as a start?

For MSVC
========

Organizing boost files
======================

1) Create a main boost directory which will contain the current and future 
boost library verstions. For example: C:\boost

2) Download the desired version(s) of boost (.exe or .zip files ) from 
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=7586&package_id=8041 
to the boost directory created in step 1.

3) Extract the .exe or .zip file(s) from Step 2 into the directory from Step 
1. These sub-directories should retain the boost version within it's name. 
For example

    C:\boost\boost_1_32_0
    C:\boost\boost_1_31_0

Using the header only boost libraries from MSVC7.1
==================================================

Using a single version of boost header only libraries installation wide
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

1) Open an instance of MSVC 7.1 IDE.

2) Click the 'Tools | Options...' menu.

3) Select the 'Projects | VC++ Directories' item from the tree view on the 
left of the Options dialog.

4) Select 'Include Files' from the 'Show directories for' dropdown.

5) Double-click just below the last entry in the directory list box, and 
enter the path to the sub-directory for the desired version of boost. For 
example: C:\boost\boost_1_33_0.

6) Repeat 5 for each Platform of interest after selecting another platform 
from the 'Platform' dropdown.

7) Click Ok.

OR

Using a single version of boost header only libraries on a project by 
project basis
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1) Open your project with the MSVC 7.1 IDE.

2) Select the desired project from the Class View or Solution View browsers.

3) Click the 'Project | Properties' menu.

4) Select 'All Configurations' from the 'Configuration' dropdown.

5) Select 'Configuration Properties | C/C++ | General' item from the tree 
view on the left of the '<project> Property Pages' dialog.

6) Enter the desired boost version directory name in the 'Additional Include 
Directories' value field in the properties listbox. For example: 
C:\boost\boost_1_33_0. Note that directories are delimited with ';'.

7) Click Ok.

Jeff Flinn