Re: [boost] Monotone phasing out use of bits of boost due to having to build external libraries

From: Michael Caisse (boost_at_[hidden])
Date: 2007-07-14 03:01:36

Anthony Williams wrote:
> There has recently been some discussion on the monotone development list about
> phasing out their use of boost libraries that require building external lib
> files (filesystem and regex). I thought people might find it interesting, so
> I'm posting some of the comments here:
>
> "Zack Weinberg" <zackw_at_[hidden]> writes:
>   
>
< huge snip>

> Anthony
>   
I'm sure I should just sit on my hands and let this one go by. I don't know much
about the Monotone version control project and I don't know who Zack is; however,
I do know crazy excuses when I hear them. Perhaps boost::filesystem is not a good
fit and therefore shouldn't be used. But people don't just stop using a library
because the new version is a pain... they continue working with the old version
and see if they can get the functionality put back in that they are missing. 
If the build system doesn't fit your needs, you package it so it works with your
stuff. Any library set as large as boost is going to have portions not needed
by a project. It seems perfectly reasonable (and almost expected) to extract the
required bits and package those with Monotone. Surely writing the make file is trivial 
compared to rewriting Regex. Sounds like a typical NIH series of excuses.

With the growth of boost libraries and the compilation size/time of the whole
shebang it just seems reasonable that projects package what they need instead of
having users download boost release X and build it. I know this isn't how OpenSource
is typically done; however, most libraries are singular in domain and don't include
solutions ranging from linear algebra to python/C++ interoperability and a full
blown C++ preprocessor.

I knew I should have sat on my hands  (o;

michael 

-- 
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Michael Caisse
Object Modeling Designs
www.objectmodelingdesigns.com