Re: Attn Dennis Jones: CVS Windows Build, Visual C++ Project Files

[Dennis Jones]

Hi Conrad,

As far as I have been able to determine, VC5 has no trouble building CVS
using the VC6 project files.  If this continues to be true, I would have no
problem with changing the lowest common denominator requirement for CVS from
VC5 to VC6.

However, the main problem Derek and I have discovered recently is not an
incompatibility between VC5 and VC6, but rather that they both tend to put
absolute paths in some of the project files (libdiff in particular).
Neither of us have been able to determine how/why this happens.  Perhaps it
is a bug in the VC++ environment, or perhaps there is something about the
project files themselves that makes the IDE think it should use absolute
paths when generating the makefile (if this is the case, I have not been
able to find the piece of information that triggers the absolute paths).

Another problem seems to be that some of the files seem to get built in
debug mode, regardless of which mode is selected.

Whatever the reason, these are the biggest problems with getting a portable
CVS makefile, regardless of the VC version, because every change to the
project files that requires a regeneration of the makefile forces someone to
manually correct the problems afterward.

As it turns out, the only reason I even keep VC5 on my system, is to build
CVS -- and the only reason I bother building CVS at all, is because there
never seems to be an "official" Windows build available, and I like to stay
up-to-date.  And so, because I provide a CVS executable to my co-workers, I
do need to be able to build it on occasion.

I am currently building CVS for Derek on a nightly basis.  This allows him
(and any CVS developer) to be aware of how his changes affect the build for
Windows users.  This was prompted by the fact that I have often had trouble
building CVS on Windows because the Windows side of things does not get the
same attention with regard to buildability and testing that Unix builds do.
This awareness now significantly benefits not only CVS developers, but
anyone who wants to be able to build CVS on the Windows platform.

Other than those few reasons, I have no REAL stake in CVS Windows builds.
And again, I don't think I really care if the *.dsp, *.dsw, and *.mak files
are in VC6 format, as it appears that VC5 (which is the only version I have)
is currently still able to build CVS using the newer version of the files.
If, at some point, VC5 is unable to build CVS, then I will either have to
upgrade my version of VC++, or search the Internet for an official (or even
unofficial) build of CVS when I want to get the update.

Does this adequately answered your questions?

- Dennis

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Conrad T. Pino" <Conrad@Pino.com>
To: "Dennis Jones" <DJones@oregon.com>
Cc: "Bug CVS" <bug-cvs@gnu.org>
Sent: Wednesday, April 07, 2004 2:09 PM
Subject: Attn Dennis Jones: CVS Windows Build, Visual C++ Project Files


> Hi Dennis,
> =============
> Derek Price tells me you're a key stake holder in building
> CVS on Windows using Visual C++ 5.0 (VC5) project files.
> =============
> I propose the CVS project revert the current VC project
> files back to VC5 format such that current *.dsw, *.dsp
> and *.mak files are a consistent VC5 project file set.
>
> I propose the CVS project add VC6 project file support as
> new files on the feature branch using a distinct, possibly
> version specific, file name set.
> -----
> The reasons for these proposals and your attention are:
>
> 1. Derek and I have only Visual C++ 6.0 (VC6).  Right now
> the VC project files on the CVS feature branch are in a
> mixed state i.e. VC6 for *.dsw & *.dsp and VC5 for *.mak
> which I found confusing when I began doing Windows builds
> last week.
>
> 2. The mixed set is an awkward process since Derek commits
> a *.dsp change, you downgrade the *.dsp to VC5 so you can
> regenerate the *.mak for delivery to Derek.  Unavoidable
> time lags lengthen the duration where the project files
> are not synchronized.
>
> 3. Right now, as far as Derek can determine, you, Derek
> and I are the only active Windows builders.
> -----
> I would appreciate any and all comments please.
> =============
> I would appreciate hearing about all reasons for keeping
> VC5 support.  I plan to use this information to shape my
> future CVS project contributions.
> =============
> TIA,
>
> Conrad Pino
>
> ---
> [This E-mail Scanned for viruses by Onlinemac.com]
>
>


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