Re: Header-only libraries linking to compiled libraries...

From: Boris Kolpackov (boris_at_[hidden])
Date: 2021-11-02 18:58:34

Peter Dimov via Boost <boost_at_[hidden]> writes:

> Since the CMake configuration files that are generated by `b2 install`
> define CMake targets based on the b2 targets, it's not possible to fix
> this just on the boost-install side. If we want Boost::process to appear
> as a target in CMake, we need boost_process to appear as a target in
> b2, that is, we need libs/process/build/Jamfile to exist.
> 
> The easiest way to fix it - if we decide to do something about it - is to
> create dummy compiled libraries for each such header-only library
> that isn't really header-only because of dependencies.

Wouldn't the proper way to fix this be to teach b2 first-class "binless"
library targets (i.e., a library that doesn't actually have .a/.so)?
This will also allow you to, say, have "binful" .so (for example, due
to DllMain) but "binless" .a, if you ever want such a beast (no pun
intended).