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Subject: Re: [Boost-build] Future of Boost.Build
From: Robert (r.firl_at_[hidden])
Date: 2017-07-26 21:28:04


On 7/26/2017 2:18 PM, Chambers, Matthew via Boost-build wrote:
> Now that the shit has hit the fan, what will become of Boost.Build? I
> still prefer it to CMake even if Boost won't use it (whether I can
> convince my project to keep using it may be another matter). I have
> greatly appreciated Steven's, Vladimir's, and Rene's improvements over
> the years.
>
> Rene, can you expound on what you mention here?
>> * I will continue to maintain Predef. But will be forking it into a
>> non-Boost form moving forward (in similar vein to ASIO).
>>
>> * I will*not* continue to maintain B2 in the Boost form. I will be
>> rewriting b2 into a new form to address the needs of building software that
>> matches the industry I work in. I will be doing this immediately.
>
> What does it mean to rewrite b2 in "a new form" that "that matches the
> industry I work in"?
>
> I will be particularly irked if the Boost SC ends up hiring contractors
> to speed the conversion to CMake, when the issues in Boost.Build
> (documentation and it being quite hard to learn how to do advanced
> things with it) could be solved by far less contracted effort.
>
> -Matt
>
>
I agree with you that improving Boost.Build documentation is a better
solution. I for one dislike and barely tolerate the cumbersome and
error prone method getting CMake to create the correct output for even a
single architecture and tool like Visual Studio. Once CMake finally
succeeds with something like 64-Bit, Visual Studio, then the individual
Visual Studio solution and sub-projects are manually edited, adding
support for selecting 32-Bit, Debug/Release and the Intel compiler on
Windows. Once I find where the CMake command invocation scripting is
hiding in a project file, it gets deleted to prevent CMake overriding
the now correctly building solution for compiler, architecture and bit
setting combinations. Note how the SC has been rather quiet on the
developer list since the "... intent ..." announcement. In comparison,
the crickets near the rental home are much more vocal every night.

--Robert

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