Re: bjam Build broken?

From: David Abrahams (dave_at_[hidden])
Date: 2005-05-28 22:03:14

"Victor A. Wagner Jr." <vawjr_at_[hidden]> writes:

> At 09:05 2005-05-28, you wrote:
>>Aleksey Gurtovoy writes:
>> >> 1.18 (david_ab 27-May-05): char const expected[] = "-c 
>> -I\"Foobar\""; //<<<<<<<<<<<< line 424 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
>> > 
>> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>> >
>> > Here's the culprit. It's C. You cannot define something in the middle
>> > of a block, only at the beginning.
>>
>>In C89, that is.
>
> what's the reason we're leaving it in C?

Originally, portability. Remember, if some C++ compiler chokes on a
special construct used in bjam then none of Boost can build. We
didn't want to come up with a set of "restricted C++" coding
guidelines -- how depressing would that be. But at this point, it's
inertia. A Python rewrite of bjam/Boost.Build is already underway in
parallel. Again a case of "no point investing innovation in a dying
cause."

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