[Qt5-feedback] Build system requirements for Qt5

[Charley Bay]

Marcus spaketh:

> I have been considering this for quite some time, and we have been
> talking about this at Kitware. There is discussion of replacing Qt's
> build system, possibly writing a new one or modifying an existing one.
> What I would really like to know is what you want the declarative
> language to look like. Is the general consensus a JSON structure?
> Would looping and conditional constructs from JavaScript be used, or
> purely the data container format?
>

Wow, is that ever a *huge* (set of) questions.  But, I'd like the answer(s)
too.

Since you're at Kitware, you may have better success than me at getting the
Trolls to talk.  I can't get anybody to talk about it.  In part, I'm
concluding the "silence" is that "build" is not something Nokia/Trolls are
ready to invest in at this time.  (Yes, as you point out, they can't really
avoid the issue because they *are* investing in QtCreator, and that needs
*something*.)

I'm sure you read the last "official" discussion on this (from 2009):

<
http://labs.qt.nokia.com/2009/10/12/to-make-or-not-to-make-qmake-and-beyond/
>

...and the next-day follow-up:

<
http://labs.qt.nokia.com/2009/10/14/to-make-or-not-to-make-qmake-and-beyond-redux/
>

That was before QML/Javascript was really "prime time", so I'd guess yes,
you'd probably be ok thinking about a JSON/Javascript syntax, since it was
"sort of supported" in those threads, and I'd guess no less supported as a
preferred direction now.

Of course, other discussions in those threads include new build syntax,
etc., and other consistency with other existing tools (with CMake probably
being the front-runner).

I'm working on a system that is essentially sitting on a "super-INI" format,
which is a cross between the old *.INI files and the old Makefile syntax
(specifically as it pertains to macros).  (IMHO, it's more elegant than
JSON/Javascript, but I concede there is no strong "field proving" of my
opinion, other than perhaps the historic popularity of "make" Makefiles).

No matter what you hear, or decide, I'm *VERY* interested in listening to
the discussion.  We MUST have a simple ability to integrate with QtCreator,
to build the Qt modules, and to build Qt-applications (out-of-the-box).

--charley
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.qt.nokia.com/pipermail/qt5-feedback/attachments/20110603/60a79c20/attachment.html