[Boost-build] run versus unit-test

Subject: [Boost-build] run versus unit-test
From: Ian Emmons (iemmons_at_[hidden])
Date: 2009-05-13 16:52:46

I have seen numerous recommendation in this list to switch from using  
the unit-test target to the newer "run" target.  So I tried to do  
that, but ran into a roadblock.  Here is an abbreviated version of my  
Jamfile (before the switch):

unit-test FooTest
    :  [ glob *.cpp ]
       /site-config//BoostUnitTest
    :  <include>.
       <dependency>config.txt
    ;

explicit config.txt ;
make config.txt : $(FooProjectDir)/config.txt : @common.copy ;

The key item of note here is that the unit test executable requires  
the presence of config.txt in the same directory as the executable in  
order to run properly.  I have arranged for this by adding a  
dependency to the unit-test target that copies the requisite file.   
This works perfectly.

When I switch to the equivalent run target, the target that copies the  
file does exactly what it did before, namely copy the file from the  
project directory into a location like this:

    ...\Foo\msvc-9.0\debug\address-model-64\threading-multi

But the run rule does not build the executable in this same  
directory.  Instead, it builds here:

    ...\Foo\Foo.test\msvc-9.0\debug\address-model-64\threading-multi

Of course, the requisite config.txt file is not present in that  
directory, so my tests fail.

So, I need to do one of two things.  I either need to get the run  
target to build in the usual place, or I need to copy the config.txt  
file into the place that run uses to build.  Either way, I don't see  
how to do it.  Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance,

Ian