Getting Started with Modular Boost Library Development using Git
This page describes the mechanics of creating a new modular Boost library using Git.
The intended audience:
- Developers who want to create a new library to be proposed for eventual inclusion in Boost.
- Developers of existing pre-modular Boost libraries who want to understand the mechanics of modular Boost and Git.
Prerequisites
- An understanding of Boost culture and the Developer's mailing list. Read more.
- An understanding of Boost Library Requirements and Guidelines.
- The Git version control system. Read about Getting Started with Git. If you are new to Git, install it and experiment a bit before coming back here.
- A (free) GitHub account. Read about Getting Started with GitHub.
- Your favorite compiler and development environment.
- A recent version of Boost installed. See Boost Getting Started. (Either modular or pre-modular Boost will work.)
- The
b2
executable, created in theboost
root directory during installation, added to your path.
Overview
Creating the simple
library
This procedure will create a trivial library named simple
. Its public repository will be hosted in your own GitHub account. You will do development using a private repository that is located within a Boost installation on your local machine. This simulates your library being a sub-module of the Boost super-project.
- With your web browser, sign into your GitHub account and create a repository named
simple
. Select the option to automatically create a README file. Copy the URL of the newly created repository to your clipboard. - The remainder of the steps are run from the command line.
cd
to thelibs
sub-directory of the Boost installation root directory, clone the newly created repository, and create the library's directory structure:cd boost-root/libs git clone git@github.com:Beman/simple.git cd simple mkdir include mkdir test cd include mkdir boost cd boost mkdir simple cd ../../../../boost
- Create a symlink to simulate your library being installed as part of Boost:
- Windows:
mklink /d simple ..\libs\simple\include\boost\simple
- POSIX:
ln -s ../libs/simple/include/boost/simple simple
- Windows:
- Using a text editor, create a file named twice.hpp in boost-root/libs/simple/include/boost/simple:
#include <string> namespace boost { namespace simple { inline std::string twice(const std::string& s) { return s + s; } }}
cd
to boost-root/libs/simple/test. The remaining steps are done in that directory.- Create a file named twice_test.cpp using a text editor:
#include <boost/simple/twice.hpp> #include <boost/detail/lightweight_test.hpp> int main() { BOOST_TEST(boost::simple::twice("foo") == "foofoo"); return ::boost::report_errors(); }
- Create a file named Jamfile.v2 using a text editor. Be careful to leave spaces between syntax elements as they are required:
test-suite simple : [ run twice_test.cpp ] ;
- Run the test by invoking
b2 >b2.log
. Theb2.log
file should look something like this, modulo obvious differences for POSIX-like systems:...found 26 targets... ...updating 11 targets... common.mkdir ..\..\..\bin.v2\libs\simple common.mkdir ..\..\..\bin.v2\libs\simple\test common.mkdir ..\..\..\bin.v2\libs\simple\test\twice_test.test common.mkdir ..\..\..\bin.v2\libs\simple\test\twice_test.test\msvc-10.0express common.mkdir ..\..\..\bin.v2\libs\simple\test\twice_test.test\msvc-10.0express\debug common.mkdir ..\..\..\bin.v2\libs\simple\test\twice_test.test\msvc-10.0express\debug\threading-multi compile-c-c++ ..\..\..\bin.v2\libs\simple\test\twice_test.test\msvc-10.0express\debug\threading-multi\twice_test.obj twice_test.cpp msvc.link ..\..\..\bin.v2\libs\simple\test\twice_test.test\msvc-10.0express\debug\threading-multi\twice_test.exe msvc.manifest ..\..\..\bin.v2\libs\simple\test\twice_test.test\msvc-10.0express\debug\threading-multi\twice_test.exe testing.capture-output ..\..\..\bin.v2\libs\simple\test\twice_test.test\msvc-10.0express\debug\threading-multi\twice_test.run 1 file(s) copied. **passed** ..\..\..\bin.v2\libs\simple\test\twice_test.test\msvc-10.0express\debug\threading-multi\twice_test.test ...updated 11 targets...
The log file will come in handy if you run into problems and request help. Attaching a log avoids email end-of-line mutilation and overlong message bodies.
Committing and pushing
OK, the basic structure and files of the library are present, so it is time to commit the changes to the local repo.
Hint: git help command-name
will launch a browser window with documentation for command-name.
Execute these commands in boost-root/libs/simple (shown with typical output):
>git add . >git commit -m "Initial commit" --dry-run # On branch master # Changes to be committed: # (use "git reset HEAD <file>..." to unstage) # # new file: include/boost/simple/twice.hpp # new file: test/Jamfile.v2 # new file: test/twice_test.cpp # >git commit -m "Initial commit" [master 3a3a654] Initial commit 3 files changed, 18 insertions(+) create mode 100644 include/boost/simple/twice.hpp create mode 100644 test/Jamfile.v2 create mode 100644 test/twice_test.cpp
Since the test passed (as indicated by the **passed**
message), we will also push these changes up to the public repository:
>git push Counting objects: 10, done. Delta compression using up to 2 threads. Compressing objects: 100% (6/6), done. Writing objects: 100% (9/9), 817 bytes, done. Total 9 (delta 0), reused 0 (delta 0) To git@github.com:Beman/simple.git 9356e19..3a3a654 master -> master
Your output, of course, will show your GitHub account name rather than mine.