Re: Re: [Q:] using XXX-config programs

From: Vladimir Prus (ghost_at_[hidden])
Date: 2004-09-10 11:57:51

Ian Fasel wrote:

>> Are they really run on each invocation of
>> a compiler. Or the configure script adds output of
>> xxx-config to Makefile?
> 
> Its the second case -- autoconf uses the output of
> xxx-config to create the Makefile. But I'm still not
> sure how to do this with Boost.Build.

I think you can write a 'configure' script which will invoke all the
'xxx' tools and generate a file which then can be included from
project-root.jam.

> 
> The main problem is that you don't know beforehand
> where the libraries and header files your project
> depends on will be located on the host system. 

Yes, you are supposed to figure that out using some other methods. 
Boost.Build currently don't have have autoconf-line functionality.

> Also, 
> libraries you want to link to may introduce
> dependencies on other libraries. 

I believe that should be reflected in output of the xxx tool, for example:
$ gtk-config --libs
-L/usr/lib -L/usr/X11R6/lib -lgtk -lgdk -rdynamic -lgmodule -lglib -ldl -lXi
-lXext -lX11 -lm

Gtk depends on X11, and lists that library in the linker flags.

> How does Boost.Build 
> handle this problem normally? Do you have to assume
> standard locations for libraries your project depends
> on? It seems like a huge problem that must have been
> dealt with... or am I looking at this the wrong way?

No, there's no standard solution for this problem.

- Volodya