Re: [Boost-build] Dangerous library tagging?

From: David Abrahams (dave_at_[hidden])
Date: 2007-01-14 19:38:33

Roland Schwarz <roland.schwarz_at_[hidden]> writes:

> Just by accident I found out that it is possible to say e.g. from 
> boost_root:
>
> bjam --toolset=gcc-17.04 --with-thread stage
>
> and will get libraries with e.g.:
>
> libboost_thread-gcc1704-mt.a
>
> Clearly 1704 is not an existing compiler version, but the point is, it 
> gets compiled! So one cannot be sure, that the library indeed has been 
> compiled with a certain compiler.
>
> If I had said:
>
> bjam --toolset=gcc-3.3.5 --with-thread stage
>
> how can I be sure it really has been compiled with this version and not 
> say the default, which is 4.1 in my case?
>
> I would have expected that the build simply refuses to compile if the 
> correct version isn't available.
>
> What I am missing?

You can use anything you want for the compiler version, e.g.

  using gcc : Cxx0xFeatures : ... ;

  using gcc : 3.0.4-concepts : ... ;

The build system doesn't check and doesn't care.  I.e. feature, not
bug. ;-)

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