[boost] List of boost headers in boost/ (was RE: preprocess operation problems)

Subject: [boost] List of boost headers in boost/ (was RE: preprocess operation problems)
From: Fletcher, John P (j.p.fletcher_at_[hidden])
Date: 2015-01-28 15:48:03

I have been involved in a discussion about the problem of keeping uptodate the header files in the top level boost/ which only get updated if they are links to the corresponding file in the boost/libs/ subdirectory which they refer to, if there is one.

To give an idea of the size of the problem of headers in boost which are not links, attached is a list of all the *.hpp files in the current boost/ on develop.  Only a very small number of them are links.

Some of them may only contain links to headers in other directories and these will be being updated, but some of the top level headers are substantial files in themselves.  These files are not being updated from when I set up the local git repository.  This means that if the underlying file changes, the two get out of step.  This has happened in the case of boost/integer_fwd.hpp as discussed in the other thread.

My interest is to be able to maintain and update the particular library I have agreed to maintain, Boost Phoenix.  That has many dependencies not only of its own but also the tools e.g. test and preprocess, which I need to use from time to time.

I hope we can evolve a situation where it is clear to a maintainer what is needed to keep a consistent working environment.  I know that is not easy because of the way tools, such as compilers and indeed the C++ standard itself, keep on changing.  We do need a working platform which we can understand and work with.

I think some of the present problems are arising because of very reasonable attempts to make boost more consistent.  Some of the changes of configuration are causing problems not forseen, because of the wide interdependence of the boost libraries.

John Fletcher