[C++-sig] jamfile vs. jamrule vs. boost-build.jam

[David Abrahams]

Francesco Queirolo <francescoqueirolo at yahoo.com> writes:


Francesco, 

you're in the wrong list.  Try
http://www.boost.org/more/mailing_lists.htm#jamboost

> Greetings All,
>
> I have done some web searching (http://www.boost.org/tools/build/jam_src/
> etc), and also searching the list via Gmane and could not find a
> satisfactory result to the following questions?:
>
> When should you edit the boost-build.jam 

The former points to the Boost.Build installation

> instead of jamrules?

The latter contains whatever definitions you need locally to your project.

> Do you need a jamrules in the root directory of every project?

Yes.

> You just need a boost-build.jam in the root directory of your project or
> somewhere further up the hierarch?

Further up is fine.  I put one above all my projects.


> What are the purposes of the three different files?

Three?

>  Is the jamfile to specify depencies and what the target executable
>  is? 

Yes.

> Is
> the jamrules file only for setting parameters such as TOOLS and
> PYTHON_ROOT so they don't have to be entered every time on the
> command line?

Stuff like that, yeah.

>  Is the only reason to have a boost-build.jam to point to tools/build/v1
> subdirectory?

Yeah.

> If someone could point me to another reference to answer these questions
> or answer them outright I would greatly appreciate it.

http://www.boost.org/tools/build

-- 
Dave Abrahams
Boost Consulting
www.boost-consulting.com