Re: [cmake] Problem with dependencies for configure checks

From: Andrey Semashev (andrey.semashev_at_[hidden])
Date: 2021-06-04 15:04:49

On 6/4/21 5:26 PM, Peter Dimov via Boost wrote:
>> I don't think globbing would be a particularly good practice in this case, but
>> whatever floats your boat, I suppose. I will continue hardcoding the required
>> include directories.
> 
> To put this in perspective, since winapi only depends on config and predef, and
> those depend on nothing else, you only need three include directories:
> 
> "../config/include" "../predef/include" "../winapi/include"
> 
> Globbing, in contrast, would add 141 include directories.

The number of include directories doesn't really matter, as long as they 
don't cause conflicts (they shouldn't). The performance hit is 
unfortunate, and as I said, I would have liked to avoid it. This is 
ugly, I get it, and I fully agree, but I don't see a better way.

> I fail to see how the latter can in any way be considered a superior solution.

It is superior as it does not require active maintenance. Especially 
given that a failed configure check because of a missing dependency 
might not be noticeable in CI.

Of all resources we have in Boost, I consider maintainer's time and 
effort the most valuable one. This is evident by the number of libraries 
without active maintainance we have. Any solution that has zero 
maintenance cost in the long run, without drastic downsides in other 
areas, is a worthy solution.