[Boost-users] Re: Are BOOST_BUILD_PATH && BOOST_ROOT necessary?

From: David Abrahams (dave_at_[hidden])
Date: 2004-09-07 09:36:45

"Steven T. Hatton" <hattons_at_[hidden]> writes:

> The part I was confused about is what "Boost.Build system" meant in any case. 
> This may once have been clear, and lost its clarity when v2 was introduced.  
> There's lots of good documentation for Boost. And for Boost.Build.  My 
> purpose is not to attempt to prove otherwise.  I'm just trying to let you 
> know what I got hung up on when working through the install.  I've come to 
> realize that part of my confusion comes from the fact that there is a build 
> proceedure for bjam, a build procedure for Boost, and a build proceedure for 
> projects using Boost and Boost build.  I didn't have all that clear in my 
> head at first.

And there are at least two different ways to use the Boost libraries:

1. Using Boost.Build to build your own projects, link against
   "un-installed" libraries that are automatically built on demand and
   updated when the Boost sources and/or libraries change.

2. Using whatever build system you like (including possibly
   Boost.Build), link against the versions you've installed using bjam
   --install
   
Method 2 is mostly for people who don't want to use Boost.Build for
their own projects, or who want to share prebuilt Boost library images
among several Boost developers.

This stuff should be made clearer in the docs, with explanations of
how to do it.  Maybe it would make sense to do something before the
upcoming release.  I realize we're retiring v1 forthwith, but then
who knows how long it'll be until the next Boost release?

-- 
Dave Abrahams
Boost Consulting
http://www.boost-consulting.com