[boost] understanding boost.build (was: The problems with Boost development)

Subject: [boost] understanding boost.build (was: The problems with Boost development)
From: Eric Niebler (eric_at_[hidden])
Date: 2010-03-21 06:34:15

Cross-posing to boost-build...

On 3/21/2010 1:46 AM, Boris Schaeling wrote:
> I agree with you that the documentation is not sufficient. I had used
> Boost libraries for many years without ever understanding the difference
> between Boost.Jam and Boost.Build. I also never had an idea which option
> to use when and where (eg. is it msvc, --toolset=msvc, toolset=msvc or
> <toolset>msvc).
>
> After having sat down for a weekend last year and trying to understand
> the entire build process I wrote down what I learned. The article can be
> found at http://www.highscore.de/cpp/boostbuild/ and is not linked
> anywhere on the Boost website as far as I can tell.
>
> From the feedback I get this article should definitely help you to
> understand the big picture (some developers find the article via the
> usual search engines). The entire build process and the tools made very
> much sense to me when I finally got the big picture. That said I'm
> pretty much impressed - but it took me also years to become impressed. :)
>
> Boris
>
> PS: I only look forward to a Python port of the tools instead of using
> another scripting language in Jamfiles. I didn't make my mind yet
> whether switching to something else like CMake makes sense.

Thank you, Boris! This (http://www.highscore.de/cpp/boostbuild/) is a 
great introduction to boost.build. I wonder if we can integrate it 
somehow into boost's official boost.build documentation. Anyone?

-- 
Eric Niebler
BoostPro Computing
http://www.boostpro.com