Re: [Boost-build] [python] Python build description

Subject: Re: [Boost-build] [python] Python build description
From: Stefan Seefeld (seefeld_at_[hidden])
Date: 2010-07-14 13:33:26

On 07/13/2010 03:40 PM, Vladimir Prus wrote:
> However, existing Python based tool has straight-forward, but not
> too nice syntax. Does anybody have great ideas how a build description
> in Python can look a little bit declarative, or nicer that plain
> sequence of function calls?
>    

One thing I very much dislike about the SConstruct syntax is the very 
unpythonic syntax to define variables. Instead of doing the natural 
thing and just use Python variables, SCons uses strings and the "$" 
operator, very much like "make". I would have preferred a plain Python 
variable assignment.

However, prior to focus on syntax, it's important to clarify at least 
some semantic points:

* do variable dependencies necessarily form a directed acyclic graph, or 
could they be cyclic ?
* how much flexibility is needed in allowing different evaluation 
policies (immediate vs. lazy) ?
   (And, what does "immediate" actually mean: at initialization, or at 
some well-defined point later during execution ?)

The answers to these questions affect not only what syntax is possible, 
but also what syntax may be best to convey the semantics, for this to be 
intuitive.

     Stefan

-- 
       ...ich hab' noch einen Koffer in Berlin...