Re: [Boost-build] metatagets

From: Peter (pjfoley_at_[hidden])
Date: 2007-01-22 05:50:11

Hi Volodya,

I have been finding the re-use of particular words for different meanings
within the documentation to be confusing as well.

Although I know I am still green around the ears when it comes to
Boost.Build here is how I would currently define (Main) "Target" from
reading the documentation:

"Target - 

A target has two meanings:

Firstly - this is what you expect to be generated when you execute
Boost.Build.  Examples of this include Executables (exe), Portable Document
Format (pdf) and Hypertext Markup Language (html).  For information on all
the possible target types refer to the Boost.Build manual.

Secondly - a target can be made up of many other targets that ultimately
contribute to the output of the main target."

I know this is an over-simplification but it helps me when I start to get
lost within the documentation.  

>From my still new to Boost.Build perspective what I believe this boils down
to is that the Main Target is the expected result(s).

So from this simplistic view I suggest you rename "Main Target" to "Result".
For what it is worth here is how I would define it:

"Result - This is used by a user to specify the expected output(s) after the
completion of processing your jamfile by Boost.Build. 

You can define one or more Results within your Jamfile (eg executables via
the "exe" result, user documentation via the "pdf" result and even have
Boost.Build initiate the running of your Unit-Tests!! After building the
executable(s)).

Some of the currently supported results within Boost.Build include
Executables (exe), Portable Document Format (pdf) and Hypertext Markup
Language (html).  For information on all the possible target types please
refer to the Boost.Build manual."

To put it simply when you run Boost.Build you initiate a process (one or
more targets) that will ultimately output a result (Main Target(s)).

Not sure if this was what you were looking for but I hope it helps.

Peter. 

> Message: 1
> Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2007 19:39:10 +0300
> From: Vladimir Prus <ghost_at_[hidden]>
> Subject: [Boost-build] metatagets
> To: boost-build_at_[hidden]
> Message-ID: <200701201939.10620.ghost_at_[hidden]>
> Content-Type: text/plain;  charset="us-ascii"
> 
> 
> I was tweaking the documentation, and I'm finding it very awkward
> to talk about "main target" vs. "targets". The naming does not
> reflect the difference -- which is that "main target" does not correspond
> to any specific files and can spawn arbitrary number of actual file
> targets.
> 
> What if we rename, in all docs, "main target" to "metatarget"? Does
> anybody feel this is worse than what we have now? Does anybody has
> better suggestions?
> 
> - Volodya
>