Re: [Boost-build] [PING] State of PCH/msvc

From: Alex Besogonov (cyberax_at_[hidden])
Date: 2006-04-26 13:50:14

Reece Dunn wrote:
> I know that there are many issues with the current PCH support on the
> msvc compiler with BBv2, but getting it to support *that much* required
> major effort. 
Yes, and I remember who did it :) Thanks for the great work!

> This is because you know how you *want* PCH support to
> work where it is "nice and simple(TM)" and then you have how MS decided
> to implement it. I am not criticising MS on their decisions, it is just that
> the two are completely different, making it very hard to get it working
> right on BBv2 as it stands.
Well, MS is the fact of life and we have to deal with it :(

[snip]
> Looking forward, I don't think that BBv2 in its current incarnation has
> the right support for pre-compiled headers. I think that PCH support
> should be at a lower level - actually built into the core functionality.
There's no need to install PCH in the core if we have a good flexible 
design.

Current BBv2 design has too few places for custom hooks and Jam's 
rule/action system is braindead.

> Also, it is not possible to support different build models (e.g. Java/C#
> compile everything in one pass) or support orthogonal toolsets. What
> I mean by orthogonal toolsets is performing a build that uses msvc for
> C++ compilation and WiX for MSI/Installer generation.
Maybe we can setup a Wiki to draft the requirements for the BBv3? I'm 
willing to take part in BBv3 development.

> My current thinking is to work out what is needed by all of these and
> how to make them fit into the BBv2 view of the world, but rework
> BB (for bbpy?) to add direct support *from the ground up* rather
> than providing a hack that uses several kludges to get these working
> (like is currently done with PCH). This will be easier to do in Python
> where we are not restricted by the action/rule model from Jam and
> have a richer *native* set of types.
I completely agree.

-- 
With respect,
             Alex Besogonov (cyberax_at_[hidden])