Re: [boost] Request for a "Policy Review" regarding 'CMakeLists.txt'

Subject: Re: [boost] Request for a "Policy Review" regarding 'CMakeLists.txt'
From: Robert Ramey (ramey_at_[hidden])
Date: 2016-05-18 13:11:39

On 5/18/16 10:02 AM, Paul Fultz II wrote:
>
>
> On Wednesday, May 18, 2016 at 11:29:07 AM UTC-5, Mikhail Strelnikov wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> No, not at all. Hana searches for Boost 1.59 _or above_, because it
>>> supports
>>> these versions. Obviously, the CMakeLists.txt file included with Hana is
>>> not
>>> the CMakeLists.txt file that would be included with Hana if the Boost
>>> community decided to make a move to CMake, which is not the case right
>> now.
>>>
>>>
>> I want to remind you that this started with "The requirement that these
>> libraries not include a 'CMakeLists.txt' as part of their Boost
>> distribution creates a maintenance burden for authors or otherwise hurts
>> usability of the independent distribution."
>>
>> But now it is obvious Hana will need two CMakeLists.txt and somehow this
>> is
>> not "a maintenance burden".
>>
>
> I dont think that Louis is suggesting two cmake files. Rather, if boost were
> to move to cmake then the `find_package` could be used to find the actual
> boost targets rather then relying on cmake to reverse engineer the
> dependencies.
>
> And, like I said in a previous email, a special `boost_find_package`
> function
> could be added(or we could override `find_package`) to search for internal
> dependencies, which will allow the same cmake file for both standalone and
> superproject builds.
>

I have to confess I'm not this.

The original post on the thread stated:

"We recommend and propose that the Boost Guidelines are modified to
allow library authors, at their own discretion, to include a
'CMakeLists.txt' file in their library's top-level directory."

Leave aside the fact this as far as I know this has never been
prohibited.  It seems that the request is that the stated policy 
incorporate the above text and that no one has actually argued against 
this. It seems to me that you're getting exactly what been asked for.

So what's the problem?

Robert Ramey