Re: [jamboost] Re: Boost support: --help in top-level dir; installting libs

From: Rene Rivera (grafik.list_at_[hidden])
Date: 2005-06-17 02:52:03

Vladimir Prus wrote:
> On Thursday 16 June 2005 16:04, David Abrahams wrote:
> 
>>Vladimir Prus <ghost_at_[hidden]> writes:
>>
>>>Hi,
>>>some time ago Rene noted that
>>>
>>> bjam --v2 --help
>>>
>>>in Boost top-level dir does not produce install help. Instead, it prints
>>>various options related to Boost.Build online help.
>>>
>>>What's the best way to address this:
>>>[ ] Make --help here produce only install help
>>>[ ] Make --help produce both install help and Boost.Build online help
>>>[ ] Introduce new --help-install or --help-project option, and mention it
>>> in --help output.
>>
>>I think something like the latter. The help system was designed to be
>>modular, so it should be possible to do something non-intrusive for
>>each project. Maybe
>>
>> --help-boost
> 
> Fine with me. We'd need to restructure the --help output to be more accessible 
> to users, but overall adding --help-boost should work.

Instead of the three options above I prefer:

[ ] Make --help produce Boost.Build online help and any help docs in the 
current Jamfile. (I think I mentioned this when I first brought this up.)

That rule would handle the case we want in a more flexible and modular manner. 
For top level install help we just put the docs in the boost-root/Jamfile. 
This opens the feature to outside projects. And also lets library authors add 
their own custom help in the library build file.

The only problem I see with this suggestion is that we also want the top level 
install help available when we are in a library subdir without repeating it in 
every Jamfile. So a more general rule to handle that possibility would be:

[ ] Make --help produce any help docs in the "boost-root.jam", 
"site-config.jam", "user-config.jam", "boost-build.jam", root/Jamfile, and 
subdir/Jamfile in that order.

That would handle all kinds of possibilities for customization by end users.

PS. Still on vacation on GMT+0, but departing in a few hours :-)

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