Re: [boost] [1.40.0] Release candidates available

Subject: Re: [boost] [1.40.0] Release candidates available
From: Vladimir Prus (vladimir_at_[hidden])
Date: 2009-08-26 14:51:58

Neal Becker wrote:

> Vladimir Prus wrote:
> 
>> Neal Becker wrote:
>> 
>>>> Presumably simply using:
>>>> 
>>>> bjam -sHAVE_ICU=1
>>>> 
>>>> ie *without* setting ICU_PATH should just do the right thing without the
>>>> warnings?
>>>> 
>>>> ICU_PATH is there for situations where the ICU library is not already in
>>>> the compiler's search paths (ie on Windows), and that shouldn't be the
>>>> case on Linux.
>>>> 
>>>> HTH John.
>>>> 
>>> Yes, looks like -sHAVE_ICU=1 works (is this documented?)
>> 
>> It's easy to check in the official docs:
>> 
>>         
> http://www.boost.org/doc/libs/1_39_0/libs/regex/doc/html/boost_regex/install.html
>> 
>> - Volodya
> 
> I must respectfully disagree.  It's not easy at all.  A new user would
> probably start with:

Ok. It did not occur to me that you would not look at Boost.Regex docs.

> 
> http://www.boost.org/doc/libs/1_39_0/more/getting_started/index.html
> 
>>From there quickly jump to:
> 
> http://www.boost.org/doc/libs/1_39_0/more/getting_started/unix-variants.html
> 
> while skimming through, trying not to become frustrated with the bewildering
> wealth of information there, thinking "what is the damn command that is
> equivalent to just make?", I don't think he would ever know to look at
> http://www.boost.org/doc/libs/1_39_0/libs/regex/doc/html/boost_regex/install.html.
> It certainly didn't occur to me.

I agree that configuring Boost is becoming somewhat of a problem because:

1. Every library uses it's own custom convention for checking and reporting, and
2. No single document lists all the options.

I actually have an action item to cleanup (1) for 1.41, and probably should
address (2) as well. Does anybody have an opinion if a new section should
be added to getting started, or if we need a new document "Building Boost"
that describes things you find in output of "bjam --help" as well as
the configuration options?

- Volodya