Building Extensions with boost.python
Using bjam
bjam is a standard tool for building boost library itself. Thus it is preferable way to build python extensions based on boost.python with bjam. Basic example listed in [http://www.boost.org/libs/python/doc/tutorial/doc/building_hello_world.html tutorial].
However if you want to add external libraries in your extension (that is why you use boost.python, isn't it?), you must add them to dependency section:
# NOTE: Change [[VARIABLES]] according to your system # Specify our location in the boost project hierarchy subproject libs/python/MyExtension ; ##################### if you put your dir in boost hierarchy # Include definitions needed for Python modules SEARCH on python.jam = $(BOOST_BUILD_PATH) ; include python.jam ; # Declare a Python extension extension Example : # sources Example.cpp # dependencies <dll>../build/boost_python : # requirements <include>[[FULL_PATH_INCLUDE_DIR]] <include>[[RELATIVE_PATH_INCLUDE_DIR]] <library-file>[[FULL_PATH_AND_LIBNAME]].lib # lib for Win32 <library-path>[[PATH_TO_LIB]] <library-file>[[LIBNAME]].lib # lib for Win32 ; # Declare a test for the extension module boost-python-runtest test1 : # Python test driver test1.py # extension modules to use <pyd>Example ;
Keeping your projects under boost hierarchy is often inconvenient. You may adjust Jamfile to build your extension from any place by:
changing the line subproject in the Jamfile to the
project-root ;
and
copying boost-build.jam file to the root of your project tree and changing the following line inside it:
boost-build [[PATH_TO_BOOST]]/tools/build ;
Using make
Using Windows IDE
Make sure you keep "Use Managed Extension" == No if you are using Visual Studio.NET.
Tips and tricks
To keep up with bjam rules you might want to have a dry run without actually building anything: {{{bjam -na }}}
To copy resulting executable to desired directory take a look at the stage rule.
To specify library in a platform-independent way you could do something like:
local libname if $(NT) { libname = foo.lib } else { libname = libfoo.a } ... <library-file>$(libname)
in the Jamfile.