Re: [Boost-build] Use BB to generate visual studio projects?

Subject: Re: [Boost-build] Use BB to generate visual studio projects?
From: Christian Holmquist (c.holmquist_at_[hidden])
Date: 2010-04-19 16:52:19

> >
> > > It seems to me that a better approach would be to create Boost.Build
> add-in
> > > for
> > > Visual Studio, so that you can actually interact with Boost.Build
> project
> > > description, as opposed to just building things.
> > >
> > >
> > One of the reasons for using the IDE, is that it's significantly faster
> to
> > compile with. Running bjam on a project (even with only one .cpp test
> file)
> > which depends on a couple of compiled boost libs (serialization, thread,
> > system), takes very, very long time. I'm probably doing something wrong,
> and
> > I actually wonder how people work with bjam in practice. To me, it spends
> > too much time in dependency analysis.
> > Another reason for the IDE to know about all my files involved, is to
> allow
> > other crucial tools such as Incredibuild and Visual Assist to do their
> work.
> > Without them, my efficiency is about zero nowadays.
>
> That's why I suggest integration with IDE using a proper plugin. That way:
>
> - All of state of build system can be kept in memory, so change in one
>  file can immediately generate the necessary updates
> - Build system can report back the flags used for any given cpp, making
>  code completion work reliably.
>
>
> Thanks,
>
>
I don't understand your proposal, probably becaues I'm not very fluent in VS
IDE plugins.
Do you mean it's possible to add something like 'native' support for jam
files in the IDE,
so that the VS 'Solution Browser' is automatically populated by those files
that BB would use, if it was executed from the command line?
Or could you elloborate a bit more this idea, thanks.
Still, I think that jam -> vcproj would be more useful, and probably easier
to implement (?).

/ Christian