Re: [boost] "I want everything" should build "out of the box" (on Windows)

Subject: Re: [boost] "I want everything" should build "out of the box" (on Windows)
From: Vladimir Prus (vladimir_at_[hidden])
Date: 2009-07-29 08:14:48

Christopher Jefferson wrote:

>> If you are saying that the above does not work, can you file an
>> issue? If you
>> are saying that the above should be automated, can you file an issue
>> as well?
> 
> I'll file an issue.
> 
> The problem I had is that most people don't have a user-config.jam,
> and most libraries don't require them. It seems strange to many people
> they have to keep a file around in their home directory for building
> boost.

You can create a file named project-config.jam in Boost's source directory, too.

I personally find that putting configuration details into a file is superior
approach compared to zillion of options or environment variables. Say, if you
build a project with automake with zillion of configure options, those options
are put directly in Makefile, in your build dir, so if you remove your build tree,
you have to re-figure those options next time you build.

In fact, this is a flaw shared by CMake -- if you configure some project as:

   cmake -Dfoo=blah -DBOOST_ROOT=whatever ../src

it helpfully puts those options into the cache file. Unfortunately, when the
configure magic confuses itself (which does happen), your only solution is to
remove the cache, and then you need to recall and pass the same options again.

- Volodya