Re: [xml] win32 build system

[Igor Zlatkovic <igor zlatkovic com>]

On 21.01.2005 21:57, Francesco Montorsi wrote:

> Hi,
>    I would like to inform all libxml2 users and particularly the libxml2
> authors that I have successfully created a bakefile for libxml2.
> A bakefile is an XML file which contains build info which are then 
> converted
> by the bakefile program (open source at http://bakefile.sourceforge.net)
> to makefiles and IDE project files.
> I used the makefile templates provided by Igor Zlatkovic to create it.
>
> The advantages with bakefile is that it allows the programmer to write and
> mantain a single "template" file and then regenerate the makefiles with a
> simple command !
> Unlike other makefile generators (like cmake), bakefile does not require
> that the user installs anything: with bakefile you generate your makefiles
> and then you
> distribute them: the use just needs the usual make program of its compiler.
>
> With bakefile I successfully generated working makefiles for Watcom,
> Borland, MinGW, MSVC++ nmake compilers. I also created the project files 
> for
> MSVC 6.0 which allows to build libxml2 in Debug/Release, Unicode/ANSI,
> DLL/static
> modes (8 configurations in total).
>
> Also C++BuilderX and some other IDEs/compilers will be added in future.
> The bakefile I created does not require any modification to the libxml2: 
> you
> just need to unzip the file from 
> http://frm.150m.com/prog/libxml2%20win32.zip
> into the libxml2 main folder, then
> you should go to the BUILD folder which contains the bakefile and all
> makefiles and
> project files generated using it.
> Then you should try to do:
>          nmake -fmakefile.vc [all my libxml2 options; e.g.
> ICONV_DIR=C:\myiconv WITH_THREADS=no ]
> or
>          make -fmakefile.bcc
> or
>         wmake -fmakefile.wat
> or
>         mingw32-make -fmakefile.gcc
> they all support the same options and the same option syntax !!!
> The libxml2.dsw project links all the DSP files for the libxml2 library and
> the test programs.
>
> I think that such build system could be easily used together with Igor
> Zlatkovic makefiles, if necessary.
> It requires little space and it makes quicker and easier libxml2 
> building on
> win32 (bakefile also supports unixes but I did not try to add autoconf
> support to
> libxml2.bkl since libxml2 also have its own autoconf system).
> Last, what's best than an XML build file for an XML library like libxml2 ?
> ;-)
>
> For any question/doubt/problem using makefiles, contact me.
> The bakefile, however, is fully commented: open it with an editor if you
> want to dig into it.

I risked a glimpse and came with no strong opinion about it. There is 
nothing wrong with the bakefile concept, still some inner feeling draws 
me away from it and I cannot tell you why.

I don't like a programming or processing language if a debugger for it 
is not available. I hate makefile for that, being unable to step through 
the processing and inspect variables. But that I must live with, because 
the life without a makefile would be much more miserable. In this area, 
I am generally reluctant to introduce levels of complexity which are not 
absolutely necessary and give up some flexibility in the process.

Like I said, I have no strongly manifested opinion about it. How the 
build system works is secondary to me as long as it works and stays out 
of the way. If the bakefile concept gains acceptance and develops into 
something like Apache Ant, well, I'll use it along with the rest of the 
gang.

Ciao,
Igor