03.05.2020, 20:21, "Junio C Hamano" <gitster@xxxxxxxxx>: > Sibi Siddharthan <sibisiddharthan.github@xxxxxxxxx> writes: > >>> As you say, an extra instruction in INSTALL file to tell users to >>> copy from contrib/cmake may workable, though it is unsatisfactory. >>> But the other one will not simply work. If we need to have a new >>> file with string "CMake" in its name at the top-level *anyway*, we >>> should have the real thing to reduce one step from those who want to >>> use it. Those who do not want to see "CMake" at the toplevel are >>> already harmed either way, if is a dummy or if it is the real thing. >> >> In your opinion, what would be the best way to communicate with users, there is >> an optional CMake build system for git? > > You do not want to hear my opinion, as my priorities would be > different from yours ;-) > > Given that we all agreed that the only reason we contemplate use of > CMake in our project is strictly to help Windows build, i.e. due to > the same reason why we have contrib/buildsystems/, it is not one of > my goals to communicate with general users about optional CMake > support in the first place. It has lower priority than keeping the > project tree and the project history less cluttered. > > So my first preference would be an instruction somewhere in install > or readme that tells those who want to build for windows to copy > from (or perhaps update cmake to offer the "-f" option and tell it > to read from) contrib/cmake/CMakeLists.txt to the toplevel before > doing anything [*1*]. FWIW, CMakeLists.txt doesn't have to be in the root of source tree in order to work. It can perfectly work from contrib/cmake after necessary changes in relative paths. > > If there are many people who want to help the cmake effort, however, > shipping a real CMakeLists.txt at the top-level of the tree, with > all the instructions at the beginning of *that* file, would be an > easier way for them to discover and polish. It would also be my > preference but only under the "if there are many people" condition. > > Thanks. > > [Footnote] > > *1* It probably is too error prone to tell people who do the real > work to "copy", as they are prone to modify the copy and forget > updating the source. So the instruction may tell them to create > a symlink at the toplevel that points to the real file in the > contrib/cmake/ directory, or if the filesystem does not support > symbolic links (which is very likely given the target audience > of this are all on Windows), tell them copy a small skeleton > file that is also shipped in contrib/cmake/ directory to the > top-level. That skeleton file would "include" the real thing > that lives in contrib/cmake/ directory (I am assuming that > CMakeLists.txt can include other CMakeLists.txt file here). -- Regards, Konstantin
