Re: [Boost-build] Should link=static disable all shared library tests?

Subject: Re: [Boost-build] Should link=static disable all shared library tests?
From: Edward Diener (eldiener_at_[hidden])
Date: 2016-01-23 23:48:35

On 1/23/2016 10:11 PM, Steven Watanabe wrote:
> AMDG
>
> On 01/23/2016 07:47 PM, Kuhl, Brian wrote:
>> I'm invoking the boost test suite with command similar to the one below:
>>
>> source  ./$(VXWORKS_ENV_SH) &&  cd status   &&  \
>>                 ../b2 -j$(JOBS) --prefix=$(ROOT_DIR) --libdir=$(LIBDIR)/$(TOOL_COMMON_DIR) --includedir=$(VSB_DIR)/usr/h/public   \
>>                                   link=static toolset=gcc-vxworks target-os=vxworks testing.launcher=./vxworks_boost_test_run.exp \
>>                                  "--limit-tests=atomic|date_time|accumulators|algorithm|align|array|assert"
>>
>> Several library tests are failing because of the lack of shared libraries, despite the designation of link=static.
>> So far I've encountered tests in system, random and filesystem that insist on trying to link against shared libraries..
>>
>> Is this expected behavior for some reason, or a defect that should be corrected?
>> Looking at the regression targets I don't see any that would typically use static linking.
>>
>
>    This behavior is expected.  Boost.Random
> explicitly runs the same test with both
> static and shared libraries.  I assume
> it's the same for the others.  In any case,
> the target properties override anything specified
> on the command line.

I find it very mysterious that the command line does not override 
everything else in Boost Build. I have also found it nearly impossible 
to determine what overrides what when it comes to Boost Build 
properties. It does not appear to be documented anywhere and my past 
attempts at finding out what is the hierarchy which determines how a 
property is set, when it is specified in different places in jamfiles 
and on the command line, have never been answered. Can an attempt please 
be made in the documentation to explain this ?