Re: [Boost-build] An option to prepend paths to %PATH% before executing a test built with a toolset

Subject: Re: [Boost-build] An option to prepend paths to %PATH% before executing a test built with a toolset
From: Edward Diener (eldiener_at_[hidden])
Date: 2015-10-20 18:21:59

On 10/20/2015 4:30 PM, Ion Gaztañaga wrote:
> On 20/10/2015 18:39, Edward Diener wrote:
>
>>> I have no execution errors, even if PATH is not updated when executing
>>> (maybe those different runtimes in each compiler are compatible or they
>>> just embed some DLL lookup path in the binary, I don't know).
>>
>> If your 'link-static' means that there are no DLLs of any kind then you
>> don't need the PATH set in any way at run-time, since you have a
>> standalone executable. But I don't know if 'link-static' actually works
>> this way given the different needs of all Boost libraries and the
>> vagaries of different mingw(-64)/gcc implementations.
>
> The exact option is "link=static runtime-link=static"
>
>>> The main problem is with the old mingw (I'm trying to test gcc-3.4 and
>>> gcc-4.2) which complains about mingwm10.dll.
>>
>> I think you are trying to hard to regression test versions of compilers
>> which nobody seriously uses anymore. OTOH if you are only testing your
>> own libraries with these ancient compilers it is understandable if you
>> are still willing to support those compilers.
>
> Nobody in some industries. I work in places where the compiler isn't
> updated in many years.
>
>> As a solution to your problem try putting ( or making a symbolic link )
>> of each of your batch files in the appropriate 'bin' directory of the
>> mingw(-64)/gcc implementation. So your path to the batch file is the
>> same as the path to the g++ executable. I believe that for gcc Boost
>> Build automatically adds that directory to the front of the PATH when
>> running tests.
>
> Putting the .bat file in the bin directory works great.

Glad to know that worked.

> Now my
> compilation line for Mingw C++03 compilers is:
>
> b2.exe
> toolset=gcc-3.4c++03,gcc-4.2c++03,gcc-4.3c++03,gcc-4.6c++03,gcc-4.7c++03,gcc-4.8c++03,gcc-4.9c++03,gcc-5.1c++03
> link=static runtime-link=static

Thanks ! I will look at using your technique. Are you sure that 
'link=static runtime-link=static' on the command line overrides whatever 
a library's testing jam file might specify ? I recall that some 
non-header only libraries might insist on testing out their 
functionality using a DLL version of their library ( I think Boost 
serialization, for one, does this, but there may be others ).