Re: [boost] [context] Don't hard-code the assembler

Subject: Re: [boost] [context] Don't hard-code the assembler
From: Steven Watanabe (watanabesj_at_[hidden])
Date: 2014-04-01 18:20:30

AMDG

On 04/01/2014 02:00 PM, Oliver Kowalke wrote:
> 2014-04-01 20:39 GMT+02:00 Steven Watanabe <watanabesj_at_[hidden]>:
> 
>> Please just use the assembler that the
>> toolset provides.
>>
> 
> I've to restrict the assembler implementation for the combination of
> architecture/address-model/binary-format/ABI
> to one assembler tool - otherwise I would be forced to provide asm-files
> for the assembler tools available (masm, nasm, flat asm, ...)
> - impossible.
> 

This is, of course, why you shouldn't be
writing assembler in the first place...
I think I'd prefer it if Boost.Context
just gave an error if I use a toolset that
it doesn't support, instead of trying
(and failing badly) to switch silently
to a different toolset.

> On Windows MASM is used to compile boost.context - it was shipped with MS
> Visual Studio an at some point MS decided
> to move it from the MS Visual Studio to the MS WDK.
> 

It's still installed along with Visual Studio.

> I'm not responsible how MS installs the development tools - probably you
> could adjust your search path so you can call masm from the command prompt.
> but I don't know if masm needs some environment variables set by using the
> visual studio command prompt.
> 

- With <toolset>msvc, the assembler can't be
  found automatically, even though Boost.Build
  already knows how to find it.
- If the assembler has a name other then as,
  it cannot be used, even if it would actually
  work.  This is especially likely to be a
  problem for cross compiling.

In Christ,
Steven Watanabe