Re: [boost] Recommend dropping test coverage on msvc-7.1 and msvc-8.0

Subject: Re: [boost] Recommend dropping test coverage on msvc-7.1 and msvc-8.0
From: Ion Gaztañaga (igaztanaga_at_[hidden])
Date: 2017-10-16 08:53:27

On 16/10/2017 3:26, Beman Dawes via Boost wrote:
> On Sat, Oct 14, 2017 at 5:25 PM, Peter Dimov via Boost <
> boost_at_[hidden]> wrote:
> 
>> James E. King, III wrote:
>>
>> Actually my intention was not to discuss this just for the format library
>>> - but for all libraries.
>>> There shouldn't be a need to support msvc-7.1 by any library at stated it
>>> is past support and I don't think it's worth anybody spending time dealing
>>> with it in development or in test at this point.
>>>
>>
>> The reason we have an msvc-7.1 tester in the matrix is that Ion Gaztañaga
>> cares enough (or cared enough - don't how how strongly he feels about it
>> now) to run it. Having msvc-7.1 tested does not necessarily create any
>> obligation on part of library maintainers to support it; whoever wants to,
>> can.

I care because my libraries support old compilers. The same happens with 
older GCCs, it's not a msvc-exclusive problem.

I think it would be nice if there was a way (maybe it exists now) to 
state in the test/build jamfile the minimum supported toolchains (say 
msvc >= 9.0, gcc >= 4.2) by that library / test. This could allow just 
avoiding the compilation phase, printing a well-known message. The giant 
error outputs (which requires a huge amount of CPU and time in my 
runners) would go away and the matrix could just show something like 
"unsupported" or just avoid showing that column.

Best,

Ion