Re: [Boost-build] How to install dependency target

From: Jurko Gospodnetić (jurko.gospodnetic_at_[hidden])
Date: 2008-08-23 18:17:34

   Hi William.

> I tried to create rule that build a dll and install it at the same time but
> it doesn't seem to work and i don't know why :
> 
> rule kdll ( name ) 
> {
>      lib $(name) : [ glob *.cpp ] : <link>shared ;
>      install dist$(name) : $(name) : <location> c:/temp :
> <install-type>SHARED_LIB ;
> }
> 
> this works perfectly when i build the library, but if i try to build an exe
> that uses that library, it builds the library but doesn't install it. 
> Is it normal ?, if yes how can i do that ?

   My guess is that your exe target is defined in a separate Jamfile 
which then calls the use-project rule in order to get access to the 
Jamfile defining this library target.

   If that is so then everything 'seems to work' perfectly when you 
build your library project and only when you build that whole project. 
This is because both your $(name) & dist$(name) targets have been 
defined as 'implicit' targets and get built automatically when building 
their project.

   If you make your dist$(name) target explicit (by calling 'explicit 
dist$(name) ;' after defining it) then building the library project will 
no longer automatically install the library and you will need to list 
the dist$(name) target explicitly in order to build it.

   And now to get back to your original problem...

   I think the cleanest currently available way to solve your issue is 
to make your exe have a build and an install target and then have its 
install target list the library's install target as its source. You then 
build the install target in order to get a working executable ready for 
running.

   An alternative that would get you what you want right now, but which 
I believe might actually be due to a bug, is to list the the dist$(name) 
target as a source for your exe. The bug I refer to is that Boost Build 
seems to silently ignore any sources that it can not consume when 
running a composing generator and here is can not consume the folder 
created by install nor the installed dll but only the import library 
(assuming you're using a shared library).

   Perhaps someone will correct me, but I do not believe there is 
currently a clean way to say 'when target A gets built then 
automatically build target B as well' when target B depends on A, at 
least not without modifying Boost Build. There is the dependency feature 
that does this and more but only when B does not depend on A (otherwise 
it would construct a circular dependency).

   Hope this helps.

   Best regards,
     Jurko Gospodnetić