As the package spec will be available to all, there's no reason there couldn't be multiple tools to do the same job. I'm already thinking about a tool to package Python programs for MSI/CoApp.
On Tue, Apr 13, 2010 at 2:48 PM, Andrew Fenn <[email protected]> wrote: > Is there a reason to collect all the data using this scantool other then to > make a build file? Surely it would be less work to just manually setup VS > project files, cmake, etc then it would be to build a tool that auto > generates them? I admit I'm a big fan of CMake and I know CPack exists that > makes packages out of your programs. > > What I am wondering is if you could save a lot of development time by using > cmake? You would not need to make the ScanTool and mkSpec programs. If you > contributed to CPack then you could make it generate an MSI installers and > that would mean you wouldn't need to make a mkPackage program either. > > I'd hate to see you put in a lot of development time when the tools you > need already exist, or perhaps I'm not understanding the whole picture of > package building correctly? > > On Tue, Apr 13, 2010 at 1:23 AM, Garrett Serack <[email protected]>wrote: > >> So, >> >> >> >> I’ve been taking questions as to how CoApp packages get built. >> >> >> >> Lemme see if I can sketch out the vision for you, so that you get an idea >> of where it’s going. This isn’t set in stone, but I’ve actually validated >> this is a workable solution. >> >> >> >> Let’s say I want to create a library package for zlib. >> >> >> >> First, I’m going to import the zlib source code into a Bazaar in a new >> CoApp sub-project on Launchpad. >> >> >> >> Checking out from there, I’ll first see if the project can be compiled at >> all using MSVC (any version). If it has an older project file, I’ll load it >> up in Visual Studio 10, and let it upgrade the project, and I’ll save it. >> >> >> >> Drop back to the command line.** >> >> >> >> The SCANTOOL file can be pointed to the source directory to scan thru all >> the source files and build files to generate some intelligence about the >> project as a whole. It gets a list of all source files (C,C++,.H, etc), >> potential conditional defines present in the source (#define FOO …) and >> identifies what additional files are present in the project (for which we’ll >> have to determine what to do with them (delete, include in final as >> resources, ???). SCANTOOL dumps all of this data into an XML intelligence >> file for the project. >> >> >> >> Build the project (either by the makefile, the vcprojx file, or whatever >> means necessary). When doing so however, use the TRACE tool to watch the >> library get built. TRACE creates an XML file with every file access, write, >> read, delete and every command line for the build process and all its child >> processes. >> >> >> >> At this point the developer can create a hand-made intelligence file as >> well for things that are known about the project (what targets are desired, >> etc). >> >> >> >> The intelligence files and the trace data are fed into another tool >> MKSPEC, which creates a set of .spec files, each of which describes a binary >> output desired from the project (a .LIB , .DLL, .EXE, etc) and lists the >> files needed, conditional #defines, and other options. (this is essentially >> a compiler-neutral way of representing what is needed to build a particular >> output) >> >> >> >> Each .spec file is then fed into MKPROJECT which will generate a VC10 >> project file. Plugins for MKPROJECT can trivially build other types of >> project files for things like VC9, make files for MinGW or CMake files for >> the CMake faithful. MKProject also ties together a collection of project >> files into a .SLN file for Visual Studio. Outputs are normalized for naming >> conventions. >> >> >> >> The .SLN file is fed into Visual Studio (or MSBuild, the command line >> tool) and it compiles up the binaries. (I’ve got a plan for PGO as well, >> [profile guided optimization], but I’m going to ignore that right now) >> >> >> >> The binaries are fed into a tool called SMARTMANIFEST which creates >> .manifest and policy files for the library and binds them to any .DLLs and >> .EXEs created. >> >> >> >> The binaries (and manifest data) along with the project source code and >> build files are fed into MKPACKAGE which uses WiX to build MSI files for >> each binary, along with a source MSI with just the necessary files to >> rebuild the binaries (source, vcxproj, sln). >> >> >> >> At that point the developer can identify what files can be trimmed from >> the source tree, and the whole thing can be updated in Bazaar. >> >> >> >> http://twitpic.com/rqmo5 -- a flowchart of what I just described. Well, >> without TRACE. >> >> >> >> (there’s a lot more detail to be found, but that’s the gist of it) >> >> >> >> >> >> [image: Description: fearthecowboy] <http://fearthecowboy.com/> >> >> *Garrett* *Serack* | Microsoft's Open Source Software Developer | *Microsoft >> Corporation >> Office*:(425)706-7939 *email*/* >> messenger*: [email protected] >> *blog*: http://fearthecowboy.com * >> twitter*: @fearthecowboy <http://twitter.com/fearthecowboy> >> >> *I don't make the software you use; I make the software you use better on >> Windows.*** >> >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Mailing list: >> https://launchpad.net/~coapp-developers<https://launchpad.net/%7Ecoapp-developers> >> Post to : [email protected] >> Unsubscribe : >> https://launchpad.net/~coapp-developers<https://launchpad.net/%7Ecoapp-developers> >> More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp >> >> > > _______________________________________________ > Mailing list: > https://launchpad.net/~coapp-developers<https://launchpad.net/%7Ecoapp-developers> > Post to : [email protected] > Unsubscribe : > https://launchpad.net/~coapp-developers<https://launchpad.net/%7Ecoapp-developers> > More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp > >
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