[Scons-users] ToolsForFools wiki suggestions

[Dirk Bächle]

Hi Peter,

thanks a lot for your positive feedback.

On 24.11.2012 06:04, Peter Cooner wrote:

> Story - can be skipped:

>

> okay ....

>

> Suggestions for ToolsForFools wiki page:

>

> 1. Great page - better then the official documentation! Advertise it,

> or something!


We try to point to it as often as possible, if someone shows up on the 
ML or IRC being interested in extending SCons. The guide itself is 
relatively new, so it probably takes some time to spread the word...you 
just helped too, so thanks for that as well. ;)
It's also linked right from the Wiki start page...if you have some 
suggestions about where or how users should find the TFF guide in 
addition to that, let's hear about them.


> 2. Every builder page I've ever seen ignore VariantDir -

> http://www.scons.org/wiki/VariantDir() - but most of them break if you

> are using them!

> 3. Understanding Dir() and Entry() magic was critical for my builder,

> but most builders don't address this, why is that?


Answering the two questions in one: the normal user shouldn't have to 
care, even if he is writing his own Builder. Unless you do very special 
things, variant dirs (should, ahem) work out of the box. And if they 
don't, it's okay to ask on the mailing list.


> 4. As a demo for building Tools, I think they should go to a proper

> Builder, not just a pseudo-Builder.


They do, you just have to stop reading right before the "Using a 
pseudo-Builder" section starts.

My fear is that, as soon as I switch the order of the 
Builder/pseudo-Builder sections, other people start complaining: "Why 
does the guide stop with Builders, when all I ever need is a 
pseudo-Builder?" ;)


> 5. TFF directly access the env dict, shouldn't it use env.Append(BUILDER=...)


Maybe... I'll give it a thought.


> 6. TFF doesn't explain the use of the StopError exception.


Good catch, I'll try to make this a bit clearer by adding one or two 
sentences.


>

> I've attached my protoc.py file, this one works for me pretty well,

> hopefully it works for others. :-)

>


Can you possibly setup (and, errm, manage) a DVCS repository for it, and 
then link your code/repo on the ToolsIndex page? That would be great.

Best regards,

Dirk