Re: [Discuss-gnuradio] an example of a gnuradio project using cmake

[Michael Dickens]

On Dec 13, 2010, at 7:33 PM, Tom Rondeau wrote:
> The biggest problem that I see with cmake is that the burden of proof
> lies with cmake.

I'm 100% confident that CMake, or QMake for that matter (and, I'm sure, BJam 
and other build tools), could handle the GNU Radio build system robustly if 
someone were willing to put the time and effort into those changes.  All of 
these build systems are roughly equivalent in the way they go about 
accomplishing their task -- except, I think, in one important way: GNU 
Autotools allows the user to insert shell script that is directly executed 
during configure, while CMake and QMake build scripts are entirely interpreted 
and hence rely upon the interpreter and documentation of its behavior being 
correct.  Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.  Yes, I know that "shell 
script" is interpreted, but here I make the distinction between interpreted by 
the shell many of us use on a daily basis for many tasks versus interpreted 
just for the purposes of, and by, this particular build system -- does that 
make sense?

Either way: Each build tool has benefits and drawbacks; none is perfect for all 
projects.  I'm quite sure that for GNU Radio, any build tool will have to 
include local "hacks" (or "tricks" or whatever) to get the various dependencies 
found and in-place.  I've worked with all 3 build systems enough to know that I 
like each in different ways, and that all end up with difficult-to-read scripts 
with any project of reasonable complexity in dependencies and building.

So, if Josh wants to go off and prove that CMake will do the trick, I say the 
more power to him.  If Tom wants to keep using GNU Autotools, I'm good with 
that too.  I have no desire to rewrite everything to use QMake or BJam, but I 
could probably do so without too much difficulty.  Specifically for GNU Radio, 
I don't see any one of these build tools being "better" than any other in any 
significant way.

My US$0.02 worth, at most ;) - MLD