Re: [Boost-build] Wacky handling of MinGW

From: David Abrahams (dave_at_[hidden])
Date: 2006-12-11 08:18:36

Rene Rivera <grafikrobot_at_[hidden]> writes:

> David Abrahams wrote:
>> Eventually, with no assistance from documentation, I figured out that
>> I couldn't call my toolset gcc-mingw.  So I renamed it:
>> 
>>      using gcc : 3.4.2 : /tools/MinGW/bin/g++.exe ;
>> 
>> Now 
>> 
>>     bjam gcc-3.4.2
>> 
>> works as expected except that I see gcc-mingw-3.4.2 in target paths.
>
> That would be the "flavor" feature being injected to distinguish the 
> MinGW specific GCC version.

I don't understand why that needs to be injected by the system into
the toolset name.  There's no reason I couldn't

    using gcc : 3.4.2-mingw : /tools/MinGW/bin/g++.exe ;

if I needed the version to be distinct from other GCC versions I have
installed.

>> What would I do if I also had a cygwin gcc-3.4.2 installed?  I don't
>> know.
>
> Just treat it as a regular Unix gcc:
>
>    using gcc : : /path/to/g++
>
> And build with:
>
>    bjam gcc

Yeah, but it's not my default gcc; I need a version identifier
(number?).  What do I use for the 2nd argument?

> If you also had the MinGW version set up you could:
>
>    bjam toolset=gcc,gcc-mingw

Oh, nonono.  gcc-mingw does *not* work as a user-specified toolset
name, at least not with toolset=..., perhaps because of the way
autoconfiguration based on toolset= works: it parses the names with
([^-]+)(-(.*))? to get a toolset and version and uses the first two
groups to call init if the toolset/version isn't known.  I am afraid
this nonuniformity for MinGW is going to be *big* trouble.

>> Since I do see gcc-mingw-3.4.2 in my target paths, I thought I'd try
>> 
>>       bjam gcc-mingw
>> 
>> which again breaks in a strange way.
>> 
>> What all of this does and how to use it needs to be explained and
>> documented by someone who understands it.
>
> That would be me... But I must confess, I just dread having to edit
> the BBv2 BoostBook documentation files. I have no clue where to put
> things and writing docs in XML is among the most painful tasks I can
> think of.

Well, I feel sorry for you I guess.  Someone should make a
BoostBook -> QuickBook translator for this purpose.  But all that
said, MinGW handling has to be rationalized and made clear.

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