Re: [Boost-build] How many different kinds of command-line options

From: David Abrahams (dave_at_[hidden])
Date: 2006-02-13 08:32:09

Vladimir Prus <ghost_at_[hidden]> writes:

> On Friday 10 February 2006 21:11, David Abrahams wrote:
>> ...do we have in Boost.Build?
>>
>> Seems to me we have
>>
>>   bjam -jamoption -sVARIABLE=setting --bboption --bboption=value
>> feature=value ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>>                                                 Not sure we're using
>>                                                 this one
>>
>> Somehow this just seems too confusing.  Am I missing something?
>
> I think that would be confusing to have it all, but:
>
>   1. The -sVARIABLE=setting is not used in V2, at least I never used
>   it.

I know, but v1 isn't gone yet.  Even after it is, users will have it
in their brains from v1, and it's on various mirrors around the web.
Probably the Wiki also.

>   2. --bboption=value is used only in help system.

And that somehow makes it less of a factor? The help system is one of
the most exposed parts of BB.

I've certainly used this syntax in BBv1 for other things, e.g.

     "--debugger=devenv /debugexe"

that I would like to see replicated in v2.

> So, the commonly used options are
>
>    -jamoption --bboption feature=value

You don't think the help system will be commonly used?

> and -jamoption are used mostly for -d* options. Maybe, we can add --options 
> for all -joption, i.e, if we have
>
>    -n
>
> we can add
>
>    --dry-run
>
> with the same effect. Do you think that will improve things?

Maybe.  Do you think new users will really not write

        --feature=value

by mistake?  I think *I've* done that, as a matter of fact.  It's
especially bad because we don't, IIUC, detect unused --options.

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