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Re: Please comment: Brave GNU World questionaire
From: |
Rajesh Vaidheeswarran |
Subject: |
Re: Please comment: Brave GNU World questionaire |
Date: |
Tue, 29 Jan 2002 11:46:26 -0500 (EST) |
Eric,
It looks like there is some duplicate effort going on...
I had received one such questionairre from address@hidden which
asked pretty much the same questions and was answered.. If you
are also working on the brave GNU world project, maybe you should
sync up with address@hidden
rv
In a previous message, Erich Waelde writes:
>
> --sfyO1m2EN8ZOtJL6
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> Hello all,
>
> I posted this earlier, but have not received anything
> to fill the holes. So, if you could please have a look
> and send suggestions back to me.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Erich
>
> --
> The purpose of computing is insight --- not numbers.
> Richard Hamming 1962
>
> --sfyO1m2EN8ZOtJL6
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
> Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="BraveGNUWorld.questionaire"
>
> Hi all,
>
> since I started this stuff, I took a first stab at the Brave GNU World
> questionaire. Please feel free to add to it (search for ???), correct
> me where I'm wrong or your opinion varies, or tear it to pieces ...
> your choice. I have heavily borrowed from the FAQ and the mail list.
>
> Cheers,
> Erich
>
>
>
>
>
> QUESTIONS:
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> * What is it?
>
> (FAQ 3.1)
> Cons is a software construction utility--that is, an alternative to
> "make". It is implemented as a Perl script, which gives it many
> powerful capabilities not found in other software construction
> systems.
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> * Who would use it?
>
> anyone using make or similar for software construction purposes.
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> * Why would they use it instead of similar projects?
>
> There are big differences between Cons and make in the philosophy
> of how to determine whether a derived file (i.e. target) is out of
> date or not. Where make completely relies on timestamps, Cons
> creates an md5-signature of all files under its control and
compares those as well.
>
> Suppose you have the following chain of files:
> util.c : source
> util.o : object code
> util : linked executable.
> suppose util.o is overwritten accidently with something else and
> contains garbage.
>
> Then make will not derive util.o, because it's timestamp is newer
> than that of util.c. However, make will attempt to derive the
> executable util from the garbage file. :-( In make you get arround
> this only with deleting the garbage file, or a ``make clean'' if
> you cannot locate the error.
>
> Cons is much smarter in this case, it will create checksums of all
> three files, compare those to stored ones and find that the
> contents of util.o has changed as well as the date. It will
> recreate util.o from util.c as expected, calculate the new checksum
> for the derived file. Then it finds that the new checksum is
> identical to the stored checksum and it will *not* recreate the
> executable. Cons has found that the ingredients to util have not
> really changed, despite recreating util.o.
>
> IMHO this is the beautiful side of Cons: Cons tries to do the right
> thing, no more, no less. A very nice introduction to Cons can be
> found in ``The Perl Journal'' issue #9, Spring 1998 (see below)
>
> In Fact the signature includes the build command, so if flags on
> the command line change, this is taken into account as well. Cons
> will recompile all files with the affected change of flags
> (optimazation, say).
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> * (Programming) language used in this project?
>
> perl, requires 5.003 or later, the md5 and File::Copy modules.
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> * Special features/strengths?
>
> + see above (Why would they use it instead of similar projects?)
> + runs on Windows and Unixes (FAQ 3.8)
> + smart dependency analysis using md5-signatures
> + extensible in any way using perl. One can extend on
> . build methods/commands,
> . scanner for included files
> . signature creation and dependency analysis
> + dymamic addition of targets during build run
> e.g. adding files generated by a utility, the precise list
> of which is not known beforehand.
> + Cons can deal with files in repositories
> ? works with IDEs ? which ones ?
>
> ??? additions from list, I'm sure they are out there.
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> * Special problems?
>
> Syntax of Cons input files is perl heavy (FAQ 4.3)
>
> Cons is somewhat C/C++ centric, it can be taught about other
> languages using the Cons::Plus module of Johan Holmberg.
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> * Who is working on it?
>
> original author: Bob Sidebotham
> maintainer: Rajesh Vaidheeswarran (stable version)
> Steven Knight (development version)
> ??? correct? out of FAQ 3.9, 3.10
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> * History of the project?
>
> ???
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> * Plans for the close and distant future?
>
> There is a substantial TODO list
> ??? I looked into the cons-2.3.0 TODO list. Is this uptodate ?
> ??? Is some of this stuff already built in ?
> ???
> ??? parallel Cons ?
> ??? modular Cons ?
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> * Do you need help? If so: of what kind?
>
> ??? suggestions ?
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> * Interesting/fun stories that might juice up the story?
>
> ??? Would this be a place to add a few lines about production uses of
> ??? Cons ? suggestions/contributions ?
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> * Website/FTP addresses?
>
>
> http://www.dsmit.com/cons/ (homepage)
>
> Cons is also available on CPAN:
> http://www.CPAN.org/authors/id/K/KN/KNIGHT/
>
> address@hidden (mail list)
>
> The Perl Journal, issue #9, Spring 1998,
> http://www.sysadminmag.com/tpj/issues/vol3_1/
>
> For more information about Cons::Plus look at
> ftp://mercury.iar.se/jhftp/cons/Cons-Plus-0.05.tar.gz
> ftp://mercury.iar.se/jhftp/cons/cons-plus.pdf
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> * License?!
>
> (FAQ 3.12)
> Cons is distributed under the GNU Public License (GPL), so you can use
> it, modify it, or even redistribute it without charge (so long as you
> provide source code when you redistribute it). Prior to Cons version
> 2.0, Fore Systems made Cons available under a license similar to the BSD
> license.
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> * Standard documents to read in this context?
>
> documentation comes with the script, try
> perldoc cons
>
> FAQ
>
> Article in The Perl Journal, #9 Spring 1998
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> * Anything you would like to see mentioned?
>
> Cons has a sibling ``SCons'', which is written in python. That was
> written by Steven Knight
> ??? correct?
> and is a part of the software carpentry project.
> ??? links? documentation?
>
>
> There is a parallel build variant of Cons, which is not merged into
> the official release, for those interested it can be found at
> http://www.baldmt.com/parallel-cons/
>
> ??? There is a newer version by Thomas Gleerup, right ? Is it
> ??? available somewhere
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> * Answer to a question I forgot?
>
>
>
>
>
> --sfyO1m2EN8ZOtJL6--
>
> _______________________________________________
> address@hidden
> http://mail.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/cons-discuss
> Cons URL: http://www.dsmit.com/cons/
>