RE: [boost] Re: IDE projects/extensions to support Boost.Build

From: Brian Braatz (brianb_at_[hidden])
Date: 2005-05-28 13:11:45

> -----Original Message-----
> From: boost-bounces_at_[hidden]
[mailto:boost-bounces_at_[hidden]]
> On Behalf Of Shishir Ramam
> Sent: Friday, May 27, 2005 11:50 AM
> To: boost_at_[hidden]
> Subject: Re: [boost] Re: IDE projects/extensions to support
Boost.Build
> 
> On 5/27/05, Andrey Melnikov <melnikov_at_[hidden]> wrote:
> > Reece Dunn wrote:
> > > David Abrahams wrote:
> >
> > > What is really needed is a project-generation toolset so you could
do
> > > something like:
> > >
> > >   bjam release debug msvc-project-7.1
> > >   bjam release eclipse-3.0 # release only project files
> > >
> > > And you end up with the requested project/solution files. I will
have
> a
> > > go at writing such a toolset.
> >
> > Is it really needed? Earlier in the street Reece proposed two
> > *alternative* solutions:
> >
> > *  conversion tool to convert to your favorite IDE format;
> > *  hook-ins to allow BBv2 projects to be managed in your favorite
IDE.
> >
> >
> > P.S. Can anyone look at BCB/CW extension capabilities and find the
> > easiest way to get them supporting Boost.Build projects?
> 
> Why not generate CMake (http://cmake.org) input from bjam?
> It seems to work well from my limited experience on VC projects and
> Makefiles.
> 
> Support exists for Borland and various Visual Studio flavors.
> XCode and CodeWarrior seem to in the works.
> 
> Other pros: It's open source, and support from developers on the list
has
> been
> excellent in my experience.
> 
> -shishir

[Brian Braatz Writes:] 
Interesting thought, though what is fuzzy for me is the value of using
CMAKE over Bjam. (Cmake appears to take a mini-dsl lang to generate
specific make files- whereas bjam, concepeptually seems to do this
internally) (<< please don't flame me if  I have this wrong :) )

What I do:

I have a SED script with vcproj file templates and generate solution
files for VC70,VC71, and VC80. 

If all of your targets are of the same type (i.e. console application),
this works reasonably well.

Example:

C:\temp>MakeBoostTest Me
Creating .\Me
Creating .\Me\_Prj
Creating .\Me\_Prj\MsVc_V71
Creating .\Me\_Prj\MsVc_V70
Creating .\Me\_Prj\MsVc_V80
Creating .\Me\_Prj\DevCpp_V4991
Generate cpp file at .\Me\Test_Me.cpp
Generate project file at .\Me\_Prj\MsVc_V70\Test_Me.vcproj
Generate project file at .\Me\_Prj\MsVc_V71\Test_Me.vcproj
Generate project file at .\Me\_Prj\MsVc_V80\Test_Me.vcproj
Generate project file at .\Me\_Prj\DevCpp_V4991\Test_Me.dev
Generating cvsadd bat file cvsadd_Me.bat

The "TestMe.cpp" is a console app which is all setup for building
against boost test. (attached to this mail)

All the user has to do after typing "MakeBoostTest" is open the
appropriate proj file in the IDE and start typing.

I would be happy to share the vcproj files I use, and the SED scripts
which generate these. This could be used to generate vcproj files (and
any other ide from any other vendor).

In MY shop we are not yet jusing Boost.build. Eventually we will get
there. Most of my developers work straight out of the MSVC ide. 

I eventually want to bring in Boost.build and use it for our projects
and I eventually want to make this generation script also spit out bjam.

In the FAR off future, I would like to build a tool which lets me
generate a .vcproj file FROM a JAMFILE and vice versa.

The JAMFILE is nice for running tests against multiple compilers, the
vcproj file is nice inside because that is what our people work out of.

If anyone is interested I will share these scripts.