Re: [pcre-dev] Compiling a PCRE 8.32 library file for use wi…

On Tue, 7 May 2013, pcunite@??? wrote:

> Hello,
> I've been enjoying learning about and using PCRE. However, I've found the
> documentation as it relates to the Borland C++ Builder compiler lacking and incorrect.
> Below are corrections I would like added to the project if appropriate. Feel free
> to edit in whatever way is necessary.

I have added your instructions, with some light editing, into the
NON-AUTOTOOLS-BUILD file.

On Tue, 7 May 2013, Thorsten Schöning wrote:

> Another approach I successfully used for some years with BCB 5 and 6
> was to make sure that include and library paths of PCRE are configured
> before the default paths of the IDE in the dialogs where one can
> manage those paths.

I have also added that information to the file.

On Tue, 7 May 2013, pcunite@??? wrote:

> I've finished reading every word of the documentation (well, close
> anyways) and I came across this file: NON-AUTOTOOLS-BUILD, which has
> some instructions from a "Michael Roy" supporting Thorsten Schöning
> comments. I guess the takeaway here is that it is much too hidden. I
> was "eager" to get started and did not find this note.

I have updated the pcrebuild page that is linked from the main HTML
page, and included in it some hyperlinks to README and
NON-AUTOTOOLS-BUILD. I have also put hyperlinks into the main "pcre"
HTML page. The pcrebuild page was commented "Options for building PCRE"
- it is now commented "Building PCRE", which I hope will encourage
new builders to read it. In fact, it does mostly talk about the options,
but it does at least now point you to the two text files. [They remain
as text rather than HTML for compabitility, though copies are put in the
html directory so that everything for browsers is there.]

> A "How to Build the PCRE library manually" needs to be linked from
> doc/index.html.

I hope the links I have put in are suitable.

> I would have seen it had it been there. This file can
> have instructions for Visual Studio and C++ Builder, the two most
> common compilers for Windows. Windows programmers don't use "auto
> configure" type systems and I was really scratching my head wondering
> what in the world pcre.h.in, pcre.h.generic, and config.h.generic were
> for! :-)

Well, there are quite a few Windows programmers who build PCRE with
CMake - which is a kind of "auto configure" system. :-) I know this,
because it was from Windows users that the pressure to support CMake
came in the first place (and the original CMake files, though nowadays I
am just about capable of maintaining them because I can test CMake on
Linux).

> My suggestion:
> Remove makevp_c.txt, makevp_l.txt, and makevp.bat from the project.
> They're confusing and will only lead to more issues later unless you
> have a C++ Builder maintainer keeping everything in sink.

The reason I have not taken up your suggestion is that these files were
originally contributed by folks who clearly found them useful in the
context of Virtual Pascal. I don't know if they are still used, but I'd
rather not risk annoying people. I *have* however, edited them to remove
the references to a source file that was removed not long ago (and also
removed its mention from your instructions).

On Tue, 7 May 2013, Thorsten Schöning wrote:

> I've attached my projects, feel free to publish them if you like.

Thank you. I have put them in the Contrib directory on the FTP site.


Final comment: while doing this work, I discovered some missing files in
the HTML documentation and some other errors and missing updates, so
overall this has been useful in getting the documentation more accurate
and up-to-date as well as (I hope) improving access paths.

I have committed the changed files to the SVN site. They will be in the
8.33 release, which should be out in a couple of weeks' time.

Philip

--
Philip Hazel