Re: [Boost-build] --toolset worries

From: Vladimir Prus (ghost_at_[hidden])
Date: 2007-05-24 08:54:24

On Wednesday 16 May 2007 21:25, David Abrahams wrote:
> 
> on Tue May 15 2007, Vladimir Prus <ghost-AT-cs.msu.su> wrote:
> 
> > Over at IRC, and on mailing list, it seems --toolset option confuses 
> > folks -- they extrapolate the syntax and try to use "--link=static"
> > and so on.
> >
> > I think we probably better either:
> >
> > 1. Rename --toolset to --autoconfigure-toolset, or something.
> > It might be better to disable auto-configuration for "toolset=foo" syntax
> > at the same time, to make "toolset" feature no longer "special".
> >
> > 2. Remove "--toolset" completely. Retain autoconfiguration
> > for "toolset=foo" and tell users to use "toolset=foo".
> >
> > For reasons I don't understand, I prefer (2). Comments?
> 
> I don't have a strong opinion, but I think the presence of
> 
>   foo=xxx
> 
> and
> 
>   --bar=baz
> 
> or even just
> 
>    --bar
> 
> on the same command-line will be confusing.  New users don't have a
> conceptual grasp of the difference between features and command-line
> options, and even more experienced users can't keep track of all the
> feature names.

On the other hand, there *is* fundamental difference between giving
a value of a feature, and just random option. Features have some common
semantics and they appears in target path, while option can have any effect
whatsoever.

It should be noted that we haven't had this confusing before, when
--toolset *option* was not introduced, which makes me thing it's
--toolset that confuses people.

- Volodya