Re: [boost] date_time -> serialization (Was: spirtit -> serialization)

Subject: Re: [boost] date_time -> serialization (Was: spirtit -> serialization)
From: Andrey Semashev (andrey.semashev_at_[hidden])
Date: 2014-06-15 18:15:24

On Sunday 15 June 2014 23:45:37 Julian Gonggrijp wrote:
> I just caught up with this discussion, and based on what I read I
> think the future automated dependency handler should indeed operate on
> a per-header basis. This would mean that the configuration file of a
> module would list all headers in the module, and for each header in
> the module list all headers that it directly depends on. Of course
> still with support for conditional (e.g. tool-dependent) dependency
> annotations. *Optional* dependencies however could then be detected
> automatically, as I'll explain in my inline reply below.

Umm, I don't think that manually listing all headers and their dependencies in 
a config file is a viable idea. I have 235 headers in Log and who knows how 
many dependent headers. Even if that information is filled once, I can't 
realistically guarantee that the config file stays actual as I work on the 
library.

The list of headers and their dependencies should be inferred by the tool from 
the headers themselves. Maintainers should be able to provide only the missing 
information - in particular, which headers are considered optional. Although, 
if the tool works on the header basis, the whole idea of optional headers 
becomes irrelevant - you don't include a header => you don't need its 
dependencies.