Re: [boost] Boost building with CMake

From: John Biddiscombe (biddisco_at_[hidden])
Date: 2007-05-09 15:14:27

>      * It should be possible to build multiple variants of multiple 
> targets with multiple compilers from a single build command.
>   
This is the only one that jumped out as being out of order, however, 
having read the rest of the thread that followed I can say that one 
approach that works (at least for linux/win32) is that the CMake build 
step can actually generate scripts which can then be called from another 
script
i.e.
mainbuilddir
 ->compilerABuildDir (user runs cmake in here and builds boost with 
options A
 ->compilerBBuildDir (user runs cmake in here and builds boost with 
options B
 .....
and so on.

The Top level Boost CMakeLists file can drop a file into mainbuilddir 
which contains instructions on how to
cd compilerABuildDir
call ctest/cpack/make docs etc
cd compilerBBuildDir
 do the next etc.
It may not know about CompilerC,D,E but by querying if dirX/KnownFile 
Exists it can automatically get going. In the case of CMake running 
multiple times with different options mainbuilddir will be scanned and 
altered on each pass.

I've used an approach similar to this to generate scripts which automate 
testing etc so that even a complete numpty can simply call the script 
generated and everything is taken care of (this was before CTest became 
much better and does most of it for you now).

JB
PS. I am volunteering to assist CMakeifying Boost and can certainly 
devote a few man days or more to the job (though my Boost knowledge is a 
bit old as I stopped using it because it was a pain to keep installing 
on every machine...)

-- 
John Biddiscombe,                            email:biddisco @ cscs.ch
http://www.cscs.ch/about/BJohn.php
CSCS, Swiss National Supercomputing Centre  | Tel:  [phone]
Via Cantonale, 6928 Manno, Switzerland      | Fax:  [phone]