Re: [Boost-cmake] CMake thoughts

Subject: Re: [Boost-cmake] CMake thoughts
From: Brad King (brad.king_at_[hidden])
Date: 2009-06-08 10:00:54

Michael Jackson wrote:
> What _really_ needs to be done, for BOTH the bjam and the cmake based 
> builds is to produce a "UseBoost.cmake" file akin to the UseQt4, UseVTK, 
> UseITK, UseParaView that are either included with CMake or produced by 
> the build system then installed into the installation location. This way 
> all the user of boost has to include is something like the following:
> 
> 
> # --------------------------------------------------------------------
> # Find the Boost Package
> # --------------------------------------------------------------------
> FIND_PACKAGE(Boost)
> IF(Boost_FOUND)
>  # INCLUDE(${USE_Boost_FILE})
> ELSE()
>   MESSAGE(FATAL_ERROR "Cannot build without Boost.  Please set 
> Boost_ROOT.")
> ENDIF()
> 
> Inside the USE_Boost_FILE would be all the variables the current 
> FindBoost.cmake has but actually with "solid" ways of finding the 
> libraries, library types, (MT, ST, STATIC, DYNAMIC), versions (1.39.4) 
> and anything else that is needed (include directories, link directories) 
> and all that.

FYI, the "Use-file" approach in CMake land has been superceded by
CMake package files:

   http://www.cmake.org/Wiki/CMake_2.6_Notes#Packages

If Boost were to provide BoostConfig.cmake and BoostConfigVersion.cmake
files in its installation, then 'FindBoost.cmake' will be very simple.
All problems with platform-specific mangling of library names go away,
and we won't need to update CMake to know how to find each new Boost
version.

-Brad