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Subject: Re: [boost] Libraries and C++ compliance
From: Edward Diener (eldiener_at_[hidden])
Date: 2017-04-10 16:52:50


On 4/10/2017 10:35 AM, Paul Fultz II via Boost wrote:
>
>> On Apr 10, 2017, at 9:05 AM, Edward Diener via Boost <boost_at_[hidden]> wrote:
>>
>>
>> As a side note I would really like to see libraries, which are tailored for Boost, use the Boost Config C++ feature testing macros to put out preprocessor #error messages when a feature that it needs is not supported during compilation, rather than letting the compiler simply fail because the construct in code cannot be parsed at the C++ conformance level the code expects.
>
> This should happen during configure step, so that the user gets an error before even building the library.

There is no "building the library" for header-only libraries in Boost.
For non-header only libraries it is possible to use Boost Config's Build
Time Configuration to determine whether or not the library can be built
at all.

I believe it should be possible to design a Boost Build jam file
configuration facility, based on the check-target-builds rule, so that a
Boost Build error is generated when the Boost Config C++ feature testing
macros indicate the level of C++ compliance needed by a library is not
met, but nobody has done that yet AFAIK.


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