Re: [jamboost] Patch for vacpp-tools.jam

From: David Abrahams (dave_at_[hidden])
Date: 2003-02-14 10:29:10

Vladimir Prus <ghost_at_[hidden]> writes:

> Hi Markus, 
>
>> any objections to applying the attached patch to vacpp-tools.jam? It
>> allows to extend the toolset and overide the path to the compiler
>> installation directory. It doesn't change anything if the compiler is
>> in the default search path. I need this for runnning regression tests
>> on the same machine for Visual Age 5 and 6 in one go.
>
> This looks perfectly reasonble to me.

Not to me. Extending a toolset to override installation directory
requires that the directory be set as a variable "on" the target, or
you will just end up with one global setting for installation
directory and you'll just use *one* of the actual toosets (whichever
one gets used to generate the last target). Try it with -n -a and
inspect the command-lines to see what I mean.

I also worry a bit about the use of very generic global variable names
which appear to be picked up from the environment (e.g. CXX). The
philosophy for most toolsets has been to try to avoid relying on
environment variables whenever possible. I think that this criticism
applies to the current state of the toolset also.

-- 
Dave Abrahams
Boost Consulting
www.boost-consulting.com