How do I invoke your code generator (like with gRPC, Apache Thrift, Microsoft RPC, QT)? How do I deal with dependencies with your code generator?

What preprocessor flags and linker flags do I need to set to consume your library? What configuration options are there?

What restrictions are your libraries placing on my binary? For example, am I required to use a static CRT to consume your library? A particular compiler version?

From: SG15 <sg15-bounces_at_[hidden]> On Behalf Of Daniel Ruoso via SG15
Sent: Wednesday, October 27, 2021 11:09 AM
To: sg15_at_[hidden]
Cc: Daniel Ruoso <daniel_at_[hidden]>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] [SG15] RFC: Requirements to consume a prebuilt library from arbitrary build systems

Hello,
Thanks to the opportunity of being on site for cppcon (yay), me, Bret, Gabriel and Cameron had an opportunity to talk about the direction we're going for how to distribute libraries with C++ modules.

In that conversation we got to an agreement that we should also explore the possibility of making this a solution that is not exclusive for modules, and take a step back for a more generic solution.

I'm volunteering to drive the coordination work for a paper framing the requirements for a specification that would allow package managers and build systems to communicate on how to consume a prebuilt library.

I should clarify up front that the goal here is not to specify the format of library packages, the mechanism to resolve versions and how to fetch the package. In fact, the goal is that this should be something that fills existing gaps in the interactions between different package managers and different build systems, hopefully allowing more interoperability amongst the players that are already in this space.

So, I'm starting this effort with a request for comments on:

What are things that your build system needs to know when consuming a prebuilt library? What are the non-obvious cases? What are the architecture-specific details?

daniel