Re: [Boost-build] understanding boost.build

Subject: Re: [Boost-build] understanding boost.build
From: Vladimir Prus (ghost_at_[hidden])
Date: 2010-03-21 09:06:39

Eric Niebler wrote:
> Cross-posing to boost-build...
> 
> On 3/21/2010 1:46 AM, Boris Schaeling wrote:
>> I agree with you that the documentation is not sufficient. I had used
>> Boost libraries for many years without ever understanding the difference
>> between Boost.Jam and Boost.Build. I also never had an idea which option
>> to use when and where (eg. is it msvc, --toolset=msvc, toolset=msvc or
>> <toolset>msvc).
>>
>> After having sat down for a weekend last year and trying to understand
>> the entire build process I wrote down what I learned. The article can be
>> found at http://www.highscore.de/cpp/boostbuild/ and is not linked
>> anywhere on the Boost website as far as I can tell.
>>
>> From the feedback I get this article should definitely help you to
>> understand the big picture (some developers find the article via the
>> usual search engines). The entire build process and the tools made very
>> much sense to me when I finally got the big picture. That said I'm
>> pretty much impressed - but it took me also years to become impressed. :)
>>
>> Boris
>>
>> PS: I only look forward to a Python port of the tools instead of using
>> another scripting language in Jamfiles. I didn't make my mind yet
>> whether switching to something else like CMake makes sense.
> 
> Thank you, Boris! This (http://www.highscore.de/cpp/boostbuild/) is a 
> great introduction to boost.build. I wonder if we can integrate it 
> somehow into boost's official boost.build documentation. Anyone?

We certainly can -- this tutorial is definitely better than the tutorial
section of the official docs. Boris, are you willing to relicense this
tutorial under the Boost Software License, to simplify things?

- Volodya