Re: [Boost-users] Controlling selection of runtime libraries

From: John Maddock (john_at_[hidden])
Date: 2004-03-22 06:40:25

> We're using Boost's regex package in a Windows environment for a server
> built with Microsoft Visual Studio 7.x.  We'd like to be able to build
> our server with debugging symbols for our own code, but still use the
> release versions of the Microsoft runtime DLLs (because the debugging
> versions of the Microsoft runtime DLLs aren't redistributable, so we
> can't legally install them on our production server).  The problem is,
> when we compile our own code for debugging (with -Zi and -D_DEBUG), the
> Boost headers detect this and do their behind-the-curtain magic to point
> to a version of the regex package which is linked to the debugging
> versions of the runtime libraries (msvcr71d and msvcp71d).  We've tried
> using the BOOST_REGEX_NO_LIB trick, specifying the version of the regex
> library to which we want to link (boost_regex_vc7_mdi.lib) but this
> doesn't work, because although it compiles fine, the linker chokes
> complaining about the inability to find a bunch of severely mangled names.

Hmm, the Microsoft's docs specify that _DEBUG is "Defined when compiling
with /LDd, /MDd, /MLd, and /MTd.", that isn't the case here, so it shouldn't
be defined.  However I've just checked, and the IDE does seem to want to set
it when building in "debug" mode irrespective of which runtime you're
actually using.  If you're building from a makefile though the best idea
would be to not define this symbol.  Alternatively build in release mode
with but with debug symbols on.

If you build with BOOST_REGEX_NO_LIB defined then you will get undefined
externals unless you manually specify which library to link against.

BTW, I've just checked with Microsoft's own headers, and they also use
_DEBUG to determine which runtime to link against, in the same manner that
regex does - see for example use_ansi.h or comdef.h.

John.

> What's the *real* trick for using the version of the library we want? Do
> we need to hack the distributed makefile each time we upgrade regex?
> (Or worse, shuffle libraries around by renaming them?)
>
> Thanks.
>
> Bob Kline
>
>
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