Re: [boost] Cmake

Subject: Re: [boost] Cmake
From: Robert Ramey (ramey_at_[hidden])
Date: 2017-06-24 17:15:33

On 6/24/17 8:45 AM, Rene Rivera via Boost wrote:
> On Sat, Jun 24, 2017 at 10:25 AM, Robert Ramey via Boost <

>> So I would add 7) or 8):  Use CMake to generate an IDE project to
>> build/test a particular library.
>>
> 
> I've seen the innards, surface, and operation of the VS and Xcode projects
> generated by cmake and I'd loath to to use them.

As far as Xcode is concerned, the projects might be better. The file 
hierarchy in the IDE has an extra layer.  Tests aren't aren't compatiple 
with the xcode test setup.  I don't know if that's a problem since I 
don't know what the xcode setup provides.  Also it doesn't seem to 
correctly setup the search directories for include files - I have to 
tweak that by hand.  Sooo you're probably correct in the idea that a the 
XCode project isn't as good as one that I'd make "by hand" ... if I had 
nothing else to do.  But it does permit me to "BuildAll" or build any 
particular target.  It permits me to pick a target and execute it and/or 
debug it.  It does execute my "carpet bombing" serialization library 
test suite.  When something changes - some global option or something - 
I can just regenerate the IDE and it's all consistent.  So all in all it 
works well for me.

When I think i'm done, I run my traditional b2 build/test with each 
compiler I have available with all build,link variants - 4 and use 
library status to make my giant test matrix table. This has about 1200 
cells - should have no red cells in order to check it in.  In other 
words, I really only use the CMake generated IDE in order to edit source 
code run a smaller number of tests and debug/trace programs.

> Hence I ask.. Would it be
> better to generate those with something else? Especially something that
> maps more directly to the b2 definitions. I don't know what else exist to
> do this.

Hmmmm - maybe you want to add a target type xcode or visual studio or 
eclipse to b2 in order to generate these ides instead of executables. 
Seems to me to be within the original concept of Boost Build - to be 
able to build anything from a Jamefile.

> But just wondering since we are talking about a much smaller
> audience than N<5.

I have no idea how many people would like to work this way.  It doesn't 
really matter as CMake with does an OK job for me with the current setup.

Robert Ramey