Re: [boost] Breaking existing libraries

Subject: Re: [boost] Breaking existing libraries
From: Stephen Nuchia (snuchia_at_[hidden])
Date: 2008-11-21 11:12:24

> FWIW, if you're a Windows/MSVC user, then building fresh Boost
> release takes about 5 mins of human work, and
> boost-build_at_[hidden] can provide assistance if anything goes
wrong.

Because of the way the MSVC STL is implemented, we have to make sure the
compiler options (specifically, the one disabling iterator checking in
release-mode builds) match.  We also want the WPO/PGO and some other
settings to match.  And we need to be able to change those settings
globally in a build to accommodate, for instance, Compuware's code
analysis tools that don't run when you enable too much optimization.  So
we build the compiled boost libraries we are using as part of our
product build.

Avoiding ODR (one-definition rule) violations is hard.  Avoiding them
across the MSBuild / boost build chasm is very hard.  NP-annoying hard,
not NP-hard hard.  But hard enough.

The one-on-one help you provide, Vladimir, has been of great value.  I
admire your energy and your dedication to the task.  But I'd also like
to have a design and documentation that doesn't require an entire
semester of study to reach the level where I have some idea why one
syntax works and another doesn't.

MSBuild is no better.  I have to be able to get work done in both.
Sigh.

-swn