"Hendrik Schober" <boost@HSchober.de> writes:
Hi,
I voluteered to look at how to make the "Getting Started" section of the homepage a bit easier to understand and follow. (Reminder: I failed to install boost on Windows due to stupid errors on my side which I claimed could have been avoided with an easier guide.) My time to do this is very limited, which is why this takes so long. Sorry, but I can't help it. I attached a zipped archive of what I have so far. (Unpack onto the "more" folder.) I threw this at some fellow workers being used to work with Windows. This gave some feedback of where I failed. Also, Dave has already put a lot of work into reviewing it and this brought many improvements. As I still don't understand Boost.Build (I consider it very important to remain as ignorant as the targeted audience while working on this guide. :o> ), I'd like this to first be reviewed here instead of just checking it in.
One questions that I still have: When I tried to install boost, I had no idea what a toolset is, which acounts for some of my problems. My idea of this is still a bit foggy, but I think a definition at first use is in order. So what is a toolset?
Heh. Well in the real world it's a set of related executables and support files (like libraries, headers, etc.) that is designed to work cooperatively in executing steps of a build process. Thus you might have a toolset consisting of a c/c++ compiler and a linker that creates executables and dynamic libraries and an archiver that creates static libraries, and a set of standard library headers and runtime libraries. Another toolset might be the TeX/LaTeX suite of tools (including e.g. pdftex) and the associated TeX libraries for generating tables, doing particular layout styles, supporting unicode, etc. In Boost.Build there is a toolset abstraction that is designed to help the user: a. Tell Boost.Build how the toolset has been installed. In BBv1 it is done by setting variables in the environment or on the bjam command-line with -sVARIABLENAME=..., as documented on the pages for the individual toolsets. In BBv2 it's done in the user-config.jam and/or site-config.jam file. b. Configure the way the actual toolset is used by Boost.Build (same methods as above). c. Control options for building a target without knowing the toolset's specific command-line usage. It does that by translating build properties like <runtime-link>static into command-line flags and options. You should be able to use this text verbatim (or nearly so) in your document. HTH, -- Dave Abrahams Boost Consulting www.boost-consulting.com