Re: [Boost-build] Boost-build] [WIKI Entry] - How to run Boost Build standalone

From: Peter Foley (peter_at_[hidden])
Date: 2007-09-05 09:33:43

Hi Johan,

> ------------------------------
> 
> From: "Johan Nilsson" <r.johan.nilsson_at_[hidden]>
> 
> There's a history of previous confusion between the BJam and
> Boost.Build
> concepts. Even if you clearly define that this definition is only used
> within the document's scope, it could lead to further confusion
because
> of
> people starting to use 'bjam' as a synonym to 'Boost.Build'.
> 
> It's sort of like saying "GCC - Is a synonym within this document for
> the
> Boost.C++ libraries". You're using one already existing definition as
> an
> alias for another.

Thanks for this clarification.  I think I better understand why people
are saying that it is not really a synonym (although I still think that
my definition stands!).

I am going to play devil's advocate here:

As an end user (and even as a developer) I don't think that this
distinction (BJAM != Boost Build) is useful.  At face value BJAM is
Boost Build!  Sure it has a dependency on other files within the Boost
Build directory but I associate these more as DLL's or libraries that
BJAM loads in to do its work.  Hell if you just run BJAM without setting
up the environment it informs you:

---------------

E:\dev\tools\bjam\bin>bjam
Unable to load Boost.Build: could not find "boost-build.jam"
---------------------------------------------------------------
Attempted search from E:\dev\tools\bjam\bin up to the root

Please consult the documentation at 'http://www.boost.org'.

E:\dev\tools\bjam\bin>

---------------

Taking this one step further BJAM is a fork of the JAM source code and
has been extended specifically for the Boost Build system and it tells
you as much if you just run it.

Anytime you write a new toolset JAMFILE you are extending BJAM to know
what to do with that file type.

Peter.