Re: [boost] Status of Visual Studio 2017 support

Subject: Re: [boost] Status of Visual Studio 2017 support
From: Gavin Lambert (gavinl_at_[hidden])
Date: 2017-02-16 21:57:58

On 17/02/2017 04:03, Andrew Pardoe via Boost wrote:
> Visual Studio used to install onto a developer's machine like a dump
> truck of bricks being unloaded. The VS team made some design choices to
> help make VS install lighterweight, less impactful, and uninstallable.

These are laudable goals, and this is what you said in your previous 
message that developers were actually asking for -- for example the 
ability to install only C# with nothing else, or only Web, or only 
Phone, or whatever.

> As a side-effect of that design, it's also able to be installed
> side-by-side.

This, however, seems like a non-goal that only introduces problems 
without actually solving any.  It's a classic example of a developer 
thinking "hey this is cool, we can do this now" without actually having 
a real business case for it, and in fact ending up being what nobody 
actually wants.  (Somewhat like the SHOUTING MENUS, although in that 
case it's an artist rather than a programmer at fault.)

So yes, have the lightweight componentised installer.  But make it so 
that you can install C++ now, and then install Web *to the same place* 
later, and then uninstall C++ without uninstalling Web, all without 
having multiple install instances that confuse everyone.  (Or if that's 
too hard, make it so that you have to uninstall everything and then can 
reinstall fewer components next time.  People don't uninstall that often 
anyway.)