path: root/doc/packaging.cli

// file      : doc/packaging.cli
// license   : MIT; see accompanying LICENSE file

"\name=build2-packaging-guide"
"\subject=toolchain"
"\title=Packaging Guide"

// NOTES
//
// - Maximum <pre> line is 70 characters.
//
// - In guideline titles (do/don't) omit a/the.
//

// @@ Close the issue in WISHLIST.

"
\h0#preface|Preface|

This document provides guidelines for converting third-party C/C++ projects to
the \c{build2} build system and making them available as packages from
\l{https://cppget.org cppget.org}, the \c{build2} community's central package
repository. For additional information, including documentation for individual
\c{build2} toolchain components, man pages, HOWTOs, etc., refer to the project
\l{https://build2.org/doc.xhtml Documentation} page.

\N|This document is a work in progress and is incomplete.|


\h1#intro|Introduction|

The aim of this guide is to ease the convertion of third-party C/C++ projects
to the \c{build2} build system and publishing them to the
\l{https://cppget.org cppget.org} package repository by codifying the best
practices and techniques. By following the presented guidelines you also make
it easier for others to review your work and help with ongoing maintenance.

The primary focus of this guide are existing C/C++ projects that use a
different build system and that are maintained by a third-party, which we will
refer to as \i{upstream}. Unless upstream is willing to incorporate support
for \c{build2} directly into their repository, such projects are normally
packaged for \c{build2} in a separate \c{git} repository under the
\l{https://github.com/build2-packaging github.com/build2-packaging}
organization. Note, however, that many of the presented guidelines are also
applicable when converting your own projects (that is, where you are the
upstream) as well as projects that use languages other than C or C++.

Most C/C++ packages that are published to \l{https://cppget.org cppget.org}
are either libraries or executables (projects that provide both are normally
split into several packages) with libraries being in the strong majority.
Libraries are also generally more difficult to build correctly. As a result,
this guide uses libraries as a baseline. In most cases, a library-specific
step is easily distinguished as such and can be skipped when dealing with
executables. And in cases where a more nuanced change is required, a note will
be provided.

At the high-level, packaging a third-party project involves the following
steps:

\ol|

\li|Create the \c{git} repository and import upstream source code.|

\li|Generate \c{buildfile} templates that match upstream layout.|

\li|Tweak the generated \c{buildfiles} to match upstream build.|

\li|Test using the \l{https://ci.cppget.org \c{build2} CI service}.|

\li|Publish the package to \l{https://cppget.org cppget.org}.|

|

Once this process is completed and the package is published, new releases
normally require a small amount of work provided there are no drastic changes
in the upstream layout or build. The sequence of steps for a new release would
typical look like this:

\ol|

\li|Add new and/or remove old upstream source code, if any.|

\li|Tweak \c{buildfiles} to match changes to upstream build, if any.|

\li|Test using the \l{https://ci.cppget.org \c{build2} CI service}.|

\li|Publish the package to \l{https://cppget.org cppget.org}.|

|

While packaging a simple library or executable is relatively straightforward,
the C and C++ languages and their ecosystem is famous for a large amount
varience in the platforms, compilers, and build systems used. This leads to
what appears to be an endless list of special considerations that are
applicable in certain, more complex cases.

As result, the presented guidelines are divided into four chapters: The
\l{#core Core Guidelines} cover steps that are applicable to all or most
packaging efforts. As mentioned earlier, these steps will assume packaging a
library but they should be easy to adapt to executables. This chapter is
followed by \l{#dont-do What Not to Do} which covers the common packaging
mistakes and omissions. These are unfortunately relatively common because
experience with other build systems often does not translate directly to
\c{build2} and some techniques (such as header-only libraries) are
discouraged. The last two chapters are \l{#howto HOWTO} and \l{#faq FAQ} which
cover the above-mentioned long list of special considerations that are only
applicable in certain cases as well as answer frequent packaging-related
questions, respectively.

@@ Purpose of notes to provide rationale.

Besides the presented guidelines you may also find the existing packages found
in \l{https://github.com/build2-packaging github.com/build2-packaging} a good
source of example material. The repositories pinned to the front page are the
recommended starting point.

\h#intro-term|Terminology|

upstream
upstream repository
project
package (third-party project)
package \c{git} repository
multi-package repository


\h1#core|Core Guidelines|

\h#core-repo|Setup the package repository|

This section covers the creation of the package \c{git} repository and
the importation of the upstream source code.

\h2#core-repo-exists|Check if package repository already exists|

Before deciding to package a third-party project you have presumably checked
on \l{https://cppget.org cppget.org} if someone has already packaged it. There
are several other places that make sense to check as well:

\ul|

\li|\l{https://queue.cppget.org queue.cppget.org} contains packages that
have been submitted but not yet published.|

\li|\l{https://queue.stage.build2.org queue.stage.build2.org} contains
packages that have been submitted but can only be published after the next
release of the \c{build2} toolchain (see \l{#faq-publish-stage Where to
publish if package requires staged toolchain?} for background).|

\li|\l{https://github.com/build2-packaging github.com/build2-packaging}
contains all the third-party package repositories. Someone could already be
working on the package but haven't they finished it.|

\li|\l{https://github.com/build2-packaging/WISHLIST/issues
github.com/build2-packaging/WISHLIST} contains as issues projects that people
wish were packaged. These may contain offers to collaborate or announcements
of ongoing work.||


In all these cases you should be able to locate the package \c{git} repository
and/or connect with others in order to collaborate on the packaging work. If
the existing effort looks abandoned (for example, there hasn't been any
progress for a while and the existing maintainer doesn't respond) and you
would like to take over the package,
\l{https://build2.org/community.xhtml#help get in touch}.


\h2#core-repo-name|Use upstream repository name as package repository name|

It is almost always best to use the upstream repository name as the package
repository name. If there is no upstream repository (for example, because the
project doesn't use a version control system), the name used in the source
archive distribution would be the natural fallback.

\N|See \l{#core-package-name Decide on the package name} for the complete
picture on choosing names.|

\h2#core-repo-create|Create package repository in personal workspace|

For a third-party project, the end result that we are aiming for is a package
repository under the \l{https://github.com/build2-packaging
github.com/build2-packaging} organization.

\N|We require all the third-party projects that are published to
\l{https://cppget.org cppget.org} to be under the
\l{https://github.com/build2-packaging github.com/build2-packaging}
organization in order to ensure some continuity in case the original
maintainer loose interest, etc. You will still be the owner of the repository
and by hosting your packaging efforts under this organization (as opposed to,
say, your personal workspace) you make it easier for others to discover your
work and to contribute to the package maintenance.

Note that this requirement does not apply to your own projects (that is, where
you are the upstream) and where the \c{build2} support is normally part of the
upstream repository.

Finally, a note on the use of \c{git} and GitHub: if for some reason you are
unable to use either, \l{https://build2.org/community.xhtml#help get in touch}
to discuss alternatives.|

However, the recommended approach is to start with a repository in your
personal workspace and then, when it is ready or in a reasonably stable shape,
transfer it to \l{https://github.com/build2-packaging
github.com/build2-packaging}. This gives you the freedom to make destructive
changes to the repository (including deleting it and strating over) during the
initial packaging work. It also removes the pressure to perform: you can give
it a try and if things turn out more difficult than you expected, you can
just drop the repository.

\N|For repositories under \l{https://github.com/build2-packaging
github.com/build2-packaging} the \c{master}/\c{main} branch is protected: it
cannot be deleted and its commit history cannot be overwritten with a forced
push.|

\N|While you can use any name for a repository under the personal workspace,
under \l{https://github.com/build2-packaging github.com/build2-packaging} it
should follow the \l{core-repo-name Use upstream repository name as package
repository name} guideline. In particular, there should be no prefixes like
\c{build2-} or suffixes like \c{-package}. If the repository under your
personal workspace does not follow this guideline, you should rename it before
transferring it to the \l{https://github.com/build2-packaging
github.com/build2-packaging} organization.|

There is one potenential problem with this approach: it is possible that
several people start working on the same third-party project without being
aware of each other's efforts. If the project you are packaging is relatively
small and you don't expect it to take more than a day or two, then this is
probably not worth worrying about. For bigger projects, however, it makes
sense to announce your work by creating (or updating) the corresponding issue
in \l{https://github.com/build2-packaging/WISHLIST
github.com/build2-packaging/WISHLIST}.

To put it all together, the recommended sequence of actions for this step:

\ol|

\li|Create a new empty repository under your personal workspace from GitHub
    UI. Don't automatically add any files (\c{README}, \c{LICENSE}, etc).|

\li|Set the repository description in GitHub UI to the \c{build2 package
for <name>} line, where \c{<name>} is the project name.|

\li|Clone the repository to your machine.||

\N|Since this is your personal repository, you can do the initial work
directly in \c{master}/\c{main} or in a separate branch, it's up to you.|


\h2#core-repo-init|Initialize package repository with \c{bdep new -t empty}|

From the repository root directory, run:

\
bdep new -t empty
\

This command will create a number of files, including:

\dl|

\li|\n\c{README.md}\n

This is the project \c{README}. We will discuss the recommended content for
this file later.|

\li|\n\c{repositories.manifest}\n

This file specifies the repositories from which this project will obtain its
dependencies (see \l{intro#guide-add-remove-deps Adding and Removing
Dependencies}). If the project you are packaging has no dependencies, then you
can safely remove this file (it's easy to add later if this changes). And for
projects that do have dependecies we will discuss the appropriate changes to
this file later.|


\li|\n\c{.gitattributes} and \c{.gitignore}\n

These are the \c{git} infrastrucutre files for the repository. You shouldn't
normally need to change anything in them at this stage (see the comments
inside for details).||

Next add and commit these files:

\
git add .
git status
git commit -m \"Initialize repository\"
\

\N|In these guidelines we will be using the package repository setup that is
capable of having multiple packages. This is recommended even for upstream
projects that only provides a single package because it gives us the
flexibility of adding new packages at a later stage without having to perform
a major restructuring of our repository.

Note also that upstream providing multiple package is not the only reason we
may end up having multiple \c{build2} packages. Another common reason is
factoring tests into a separate package due to a dependency on a testing
framework
(see \l{https://github.com/build2/HOWTO/blob/master/entries/handle-tests-with-extra-dependencies.md
How do I handle tests that have extra dependencies?} for background and
details). While upstream adding new packages may not be very common, upstream
deciding to use a testing framework is a lot more plausible.

The only notable drawback of using a multi-package setup with a single package
is the extra subdirectory for the package and a few extra files (such as
\c{packages.manifest} that lists the packages) in the root of the repository.
If you are certain that the project that you are converting is unlikely to
have multiple packages (for example, because you are the upstream) or need
extra dependencies for its tests (a reasonable assumption for a C project),
then you could instead go with the single-package repository where the
repository root is the package root. See \l{bdep-new(1)} for details on how to
initialize such a repository. In this guide, however, we will continue to
assume a multi-package repository setup.|


\h2#core-repo-submodule|Add upstream repository as \c{git} submodule|

If the third-party project is available from a \c{git} repository, then the
recommended approach is to use the \c{git} submodule mechanism to make the
upstream source code available inside the package repository, customarily in a
subdirectory called \c{upstream/}.

\N|While \c{git} submodules receive much criticism, in our case we use them
exactly as indended: to select and track specific (release) commits of an
external project. As a result, there is nothing tricky about their use for our
purpose and all the relevant commands will be provided and explained, in case
you are not familiar with this \c{git} mechanism.|

Given the upstream repository URL, to add it as a submodule, run the following
command from the package repository root:

\
git submodule add https://github.com/.../<project>.git upstream
\

\N|You should prefer \c{https://} over \c{git://} for the upstream repository
URL since the \c{git://} protocol may not be accessible from all networks.
Naturally, never use a URL that requires authentication, for example, SSH.|

Besides the repository URL, you also need the commit of the upstream release
which you will be packaging. It is common practice to tag releases so the
upstream tags would be the first place to check. Failed that, you can always
use the commit id.

Assuming the upstream release tag you are interested in is called \c{vX.Y.Z},
to update the \c{upstream} submodule to point to this release commit, run the
following command:

\
cd upstream
git checkout vX.Y.Z
cd ..
\

Then add and commit these changes:

\
git add .
git status
git commit -m \"Add upstream submodule\"
\

Now we have all the upstream source code for the release that we are
interested in available in the \c{upstream/} subdirectory of our repository.

The plan is to then use symbolic links (symlinks) to non-invasively overlay
the \c{build2} files (\c{buildfile}, \c{manifest}, etc) with the upstream
source code, if necessary adjusting upstream structure to split it into
multiple packages and/or to better align with the source/output layouts
recommended by \c{build2} (see \l{https://build2.org/article/symlinks.xhtml
Using Symlinks in \c{build2} Projects} for background and rationale). But
before we can start adding symlinks to the upstream source (and other files
like \c{README}, \c{LICENSE}, etc), we want to generate the \c{buildfile}
templates that match the upstream source code layout. This is the subject of
the next section.

\N|While on UNIX-like operating systems symlinks are in widespread use, on
Windows it's a niche feature that unfortunately could be cumbersome to use
(see \l{https://build2.org/article/symlinks.xhtml#windows Symlinks and
Windows} for details). However, the flexibility afforded by symlinks when
packaging third-party projects is unmatched by any other mechanism and we
therefore use them despite potentially sub-optimal experience on Windows.|


\h#core-package|Create package and generate \c{buildfile} templates|

This section covers the addition of the package to the repository we have
prepared in the previous steps and the generation of the \c{buildfile}
templates that match the upstream source code layout.


\h2#core-package-name|Decide on the package name|

While choosing the package repository name was pretty straightforward, things
get less clear cut when it comes to the package name.

\N|If you need a refresher on the distinction between projects and packages,
see \l{#intro-term Terminology}.|

Picking a name for a package that provides an executable is still relatively
straightforward: you should use the upstream name (which is usually the same
as the upstream project name) unless there is a good reason to deviate. One
recommended place to check before deciding on a name is the
\l{https://packages.debian.org Debian package repository}. If their package
name differs from upstream, then there is likely a good reason for that and
it is worth trying to understand what it is.

\N|Tip: when trying to find the corresponding Debain package, search for the
executable file name in the package contents if you cannot fine the package by
its upstream name. Also consider searching in the \c{unstable} distribution in
addition to \c{testing} for newer packages.|

Picking a name for a package that provides a library is where things can get
more complicated. While all the recommendation that have been listed for
executables apply equally to libraries, there are additional considerations.

In \c{build2} we recommend (but not require) that new library projects use a
name that starts with \c{lib} in order to easily distinguish them from
executables and avoid any clashes, potential in the future (see
\l{intro#proj-struct Canonical Project Structure} for details). To illustrate
the problem, consider the \c{zstd} project which provides a library and an
executable. In upstream repository both are part of the same codebase that
doesn't try to separate them into packages so that, for example, library could
be used without downloading and building the executable. In \c{build2},
however, we do need to split them into two separate packages and both packages
cannot be called \c{zstd}. So we call them \c{zstd} and \c{libzstd}.

\N|If you are familiar with the Debian package naming policy, you will
undoubtedly recognize the approach. In Debian all the library packages (with
very few exceptions) start with the \c{lib} prefix. So when searching for an
upstream name in the \l{https://packages.debian.org Debian package repository}
make sure to prefix it with \c{lib} (unless it already starts with this
prefix, of course).|

This brings the question of what to do about third-party libraries: should we
add the \c{lib} prefix to the package name if it's not already there?
Unfortunately, there is no clear cut answer and whichever decision you make,
there will be drawbacks. Specifically, if you add the \c{lib} prefix, the main
drawback is that the package name now deviates from upstream name and if the
project maintainer ever decides to add \c{build2} support the upstream
repository, there could be substantial friction. On the other handle, if you
don't add the \c{lib} prefix, then you will always run the risk of a future
clash with an executable name. And, as was illustrated with the \c{zstd}
example, a late addition of an executable won't necessarily cause any issues
to upstream. As a result, we don't have a hard requirement for the \c{lib}
prefix unless there is already an executable that would cause the clash (this
applies even if it's not being packaged yet or is provided by an unrelated
project). If you don't have a strong preference, we recommend that you add the
\c{lib} prefix (unless it is already there). In particular, this will free you
from having to check for any potential clashes. See
\l{https://github.com/build2/HOWTO/blob/master/entries/name-packages-in-project.md
How should I name packages when packaging third-party projects?} for
additional background and details.

To build some intuition for choosing package names, let's consider several
real examples. We start with executables:

\
  upstream  |   upstream    |   Debian   | build2 package|   build2
project name|executable name|package name|repository name|package name
------------+---------------+------------+---------------+------------
byacc        byacc           byacc        byacc           byacc
sqlite       sqlite3         sqlite3      sqlite          sqlite3
vim          xxd             xxd          xxd             xxd
OpenBSD      m4              -            openbsd-m4      openbsd-m4
qtbase 5     moc             qtbase5-\    Qt5             Qt5Moc
                             dev-tools
qtbase 6     moc             qt6-base-\   Qt6             Qt6Moc
                             dev-tools
\

The examples are arranged from the most straightforward naming to the
least. The last two examples show that sometimes, after carefully considering
upstream naming, you nevertheless have no choice but to ignore it and forge
your own path.

Next let's look at library examples. Notice that some use the same \c{build2}
package repository name as the executables above. That means they are part of
the same multi-package repository.

\
  upstream  |  upstream     |   Debian   | build2 package|   build2
project name|library name   |package name|repository name|package name
------------+---------------+------------+---------------+------------
libevent     libevent        libevent     libevent        libevent
brotli       brotli          libbrotli    brotli          libbrotli
zlib         zlib            zlib         zlib            libz
sqlite       libsqlite3      libsqlite3   sqlite          libsqlite3
libsig\      libsigc++       libsigc++    libsig\         libsigc++
cplusplus                                 cplusplus
qtbase 5     QtCore          qtbase5-dev  Qt5             libQt5Core
qtbase 6     QtCore          qt6-base-dev Qt6             libQt6Core
\

If an upstream project is just a single library, then the project name is
normally the same as the library name (but there are exceptions, like
\c{libsigcplusplus} in the above table). However, when looking at upstream
repository that contains multiple components (libraries and/or executables,
like \c{qtcore} in the above example), it may not be immediately obvious what
the upstream's library names are. In such cases, the corresponding Debian
packages can really help clarify the situation. Failed that, look into the
existing build system. In particular, if it generates the \c{pkg-config} file,
then the name of this file is usually the upstream library name.

\N|Looking at the names of the library binaries is less helpful because on
UNIX-like systems they must start with the \c{lib} prefix. And on Windows the
names of library binaries often embed extra information (static/import,
debug/release, etc) and may not correspond directly to the library name.|

And, speaking of multiple components, if you realize the upstream project
provides multiple libraries and/or executables, then you need to decide
whether to split them into seperate \c{build2} packages and if so, how. Here,
again, the corresponding Debian packages can be a good strating point. Note,
however, that in this case we often deviate from their split, especially when
it comes to libraries. For example, \c{libevent} shown in the above table
provides several libraries (\c{libevent-core}, \c{libevent-extra}, etc) and in
Debian it is actually split into several binary packages along these lines. In
\c{build2}, however, there is a single package that provides all these
libraries with everything except \c{libevent-core} being optional. An example
which shows the decision made in a different direction would be the Boost
libraries: in Debian all the header-only Boost libraries are bundled into a
single package while in \c{build2} they are all seperate packages.

The overall criteria here can be stated as follows: if a small family of
libraries provide complimentary functionality (like \c{libevent}), then we put
them all into a single package, usually making the additional functionality
optional. However, if the libraries are independent (like Boost) or provide
alternative rather than complimentary functionality (for example, like
different backends in \c{imgui}), then we make them separate packages. Note
that we never bundle an executable and a (public) library in a single package.

Note also that while it's a good idea to decide on the package split and all
the package names upfront to avoid suprises later, you don't have to actually
provide all the packages right away. For example, if upstream provides a
library and an executable (like \c{zstd}), you can start with the library and
the executable package can be added later (potentially by someone else).

Admittedly, the recommendation in this section are all a bit fuzzy and one can
choose different names or different package splits that could all seem
reasonable. If you are unsure how to split the upstream project or what names
to use, \l{https://build2.org/community.xhtml#help get in touch} to discuss
the alternatives. It can be quite painful to change these things after you
have completed the remaining packaging steps.


@@ Where do we overlay the source code?

======================================================================







\h1#dont-do|What Not to Do|


\h#dont-from-scratch|Don't write \c{buildfile}s from scratch, use \c{bdep-new}|

Unless you have good reasons not to, create the initial project layout
automatically using \l{bdep-new(1)}, then tweak it if necessary and fill with
upstream source code.

The main rationale here is that there are many nuances in getting the build
right and auto-generated \c{buildfile}s had years of refinement and
fine-tuning. The familiar structure also makes it easier for others to
understand your build, for example while reviewing your package submission.

The \l{bdep-new(1)} command supports a wide variety of
\l{bdep-new.xhtml#src-layout source layouts}. While it may take a bit of time
to understand the customization points necessary to achieve the desired layout
for your first package, this will pay off in spades when you work on
converting subsequent packages. The recommended sequence of steps is
as follows:

\ol|

\li|Study the upstream source layout. We want to stay as close to upstream as
possible since this has the best chance of producing an issues-free result
(see \l{#dont-change-upstream Don't change upstream source code layout} for
details).|

\li|Craft and execute the \l{bdep-new(1)} command line necessary to achieve
the upstream layout.|

\li|Study the auto-generated \c{buildfile}s for things that don't fit and need
to change. But don't rush to start manually editing the result. First get an
overview of the required changes and then check if it's possible to achieve
these changes automatically using one of \l{bdep-new(1)} sub-options.

For example, if you see that the generated project assumes the wrong C++ file
extensions, these can be changed with \c{--lang|-l} sub-options.|

\li|Once you have squeezed as much as possible out of \l{bdep-new(1)}, it's
time for manual customizations. These would normally include:

\ul|

\li|Replace generated source code with upstream, normally as symlinks from the
    \c{upstream/} \c{git} submodule.|

\li|Tweak source subdirectory \c{buildfile} that builds the main target
    (library, executable).|

\li|Add tests and, if necessary, examples.|

\li|Tweak \c{manifest} (in particular the \c{version}, \c{summary}, and
    \c{license} values).|

\li|Fill in \c{README.md}.|||

|


\h#dont-change-upstream|Don't change upstream source code layout|

It's a good idea to stay as close to the upstream's source code layout as
possible. This has the best chance of giving us a build without any compile
errors since the header inclusion in the project can be sensitive to this
layout. This also makes it easier for upstream to adopt the \c{build2}
build.

Sometimes, however, there are good reasons for deviating from upstream,
especially in cases where upstream is clearly following bad practices, for
example installing generically-named headers without a library prefix. If you
do decide to change the layout, it's usually less disruptive (to the build) to
rearrange things at the outer levels than at the inner. For example, it should
normally be possible to move/rename the top-level \c{tests/} directory or to
place the library source directory into a subdirectory.


\h#dont-forget-update-manifest|Don't forget to update \c{manifest} values|

After \l{#dont-from-scratch generating the project template with \c{bdep-new}},
don't forget to update at least the key values in the generated \c{manifest}:
\l{#dont-forget-update-manifest-version \c{version}},
\l{#dont-forget-update-manifest-license \c{license}}, and
\l{#dont-forget-update-manifest-summary \c{summary}}.


\h2#dont-forget-update-manifest-version|Don't forget to update \c{manifest} value \c{version}|

For \c{version}, use the upstream version directly if it is semver (or
semver-like, that is, has three version components). Otherwise, see
\l{https://github.com/build2/HOWTO/blob/master/entries/handle-projects-which-dont-use-semver.md
How do I handle projects that don't use semantic versioning?} and
\l{https://github.com/build2/HOWTO/blob/master/entries/handle-projects-which-dont-use-version.md
How do I handle projects that don't use versions at all?}


\h2#dont-forget-update-manifest-license|Don't forget to update \c{manifest} value \c{license}|

For \c{license}, use the \l{https://spdx.org/licenses/ SPDX license ID} if at
all possible. If multiple licenses are involved, use the SPDX License
expression. See the
\l{https://build2.org/bpkg/doc/build2-package-manager-manual.xhtml#manifest-package-license
\c{license} manifest value} documentation for details and the list of the
most commonly used SPDX license IDs.


\h2#dont-forget-update-manifest-summary|Don't forget to update \c{manifest} value \c{summary}|

For \c{summary} use a brief description of the functionality provided by the
package. Less than 70 characters is a good target to aim for. Don't capitalize
subsequent words unless proper nouns and omit the trailing dot. For example:

\
summary: Vim xxd hexdump utility
\

Omit weasel words such as \"modern\", \"simple\", \"fast\", \"small\", etc.,
since they don't convey anything specific. Omit \"header-only\" or
\"single-header\" for C/C++ libraries since at least in the context of
\c{build2} it does not imply any advantage.

If upstream does not offer a sensible summary, the following template is
recommended for libraries:

\
summary: <functionality> C library
summary: <functionality> C++ library
\

For example:

\
summary: Event notification C library
summary: Validating XML parsing and serialization C++ library
\

If the project consists of multiple packages it may be tempting to name each
package in terms of the overall project name, for example:

\
summary: libigl's core module
\

This doesn't give the user any clue about what functionality is provided
unless they find out what \c{libigl} is about. Better:

\
summary: Geometry processing C++ library, core module
\

If you follow the above pattern, then to produce a summary for external tests
or examples packages simply add \"tests\" or \"examples\" at the end,
for example:

\
summary: Event notification C library tests
summary: Geometry processing C++ library, core module examples
\


\h#dont-header-only|Don't make library header-only if it can be compiled|

Some libraries offer two alternative modes: header-only and compiled. Unless
there are good reasons not to, a \c{build2} build of such a library should use
the compiled mode.

\N|Some libraries use the \i{precompiled} term to describe the non-header-only
mode. We don't recommend using this term in the \c{build2} build since it has
a strong association with precompiled headers and can therefore be
confusing. Instead, use the \i{compiled} term.|

The main rationale here is that a library would not be offering a compiled
mode if there were no benefits (usually faster compile times of library
consumers) and there is no reason not to take advantage of it in the
\c{build2} build.

There are, however, reasons why a compiled mode cannot be used, the most
common of which are:

\ul|

\li|The compiled mode is not well maintained/tested by upstream and therefore
offers inferior user experience.|

\li|The compiled mode does not work on some platforms, usually Windows due to
the lack of symbol export support (but see \l{b##cc-auto-symexport Automatic
DLL Symbol Exporting}).|

\li|Uses of the compiled version of the library requires changes to the
library consumers, for example, inclusion of different headers.|

|

If a compiled mode cannot be always used, then it may be tempting to support
both modes potentially making the mode user-configurable. Unless there are
strong reasons to, you should resist this temptation and, if the compiled
mode is not universally usable, then use the header-only mode everywhere.

The main rationale here is that variability adds complexity which makes the
result more prone to bugs, more difficult to use, and harder to review and
maintain. If you really want to have the compiled mode, then the right
way to do it is to work with upstream to fix any issues that prevent its
use in \c{build2}.

There are, however, reasons why supporting both mode may be needed, the most
common of which are:

\ul|

\li|The library is widely used in both modes but switching from one mode to
the other requires changes to the library consumers (for example, inclusion of
different headers). In this case only supporting one mode would mean not
supporting a large number of library consumers.|

\li|The library consists of a large number of independent components and its
common for applications to only use a small subset of them. On the other hand,
compiling all of them in the compiled mode takes a substantial amount of time.
(Note that this can also be addressed by making the presence of optional
components user-configurable.)|

|


\h#dont-main-target-root-buildfile|Don't build your main targets in root \c{buldfile}|

It may be tempting to have your main targets (libraries, executables) in the
root \c{buildfile}, especially if it allows you to symlink entire directories
from \c{upstream/} (which is not possible if you have to have a \c{buildfile}
inside). However, this is a bad idea except for the simplest projects.

Firstly, this quickly gets messy since you have to combine managing
\c{README}s, \c{LICENSE}s, and subdirectories with you main target builds.
But, more importantly, this means that when you main target is imported (and
thus the \c{buildfile} that defines this target must be loaded), your entire
project will be loaded, including any \c{tests/} and \c{examples/} subproject,
which is wasteful.

Note also that it's easy to continue symlinking entire directories from
\c{upstream/} without moving everything to the root \c{buildfile} by simply
creating another subdirectory. Let's look at a concrete example. Here is
the directory structure where everything is in the root \c{buildfile}:

\
libigl-core/
├── igl/ -> upstream/igl/
├── tests/
└── buildfile                      # Defines lib{igl-core}.
\

And here is the alternative structure where we have added the \c{libigl-core}
subdirectory with its own \c{buildfile}:

\
libigl-core/
├── libigl-core/
│   ├── igl/ -> ../upstream/igl/
│   └── buildfile                 # Defines lib{igl-core}.
├── tests/
└── buildfile
\

Below is the \l{bdep-new(1)} invocation that can be used to automatically
create this alternative structure (see \l{bdep-new.xhtml#src-layout SOURCE
LAYOUT} for details):

\
$ bdep new -t lib,prefix=libigl-core,no-subdir,no-version libigl-core
\

\h1#howto|Packaging HOWTO|

\h1#faq|Packaging FAQ|

\h#faq-publish-stage|Where to publish if package requires staged toolchain?|

If your package requires the \l{https://build2.org/community.xhtml#stage staged
toolchain}, for example, because it needs a feature or bugfix that is not yet
available in the released toolchain, then you won't be able to publish it to
\c{cppget.org}. Specifically, if your package has the accurate \c{build2}
version constraint and you attempt to publish it, you will get an error like
this:

\
error: package archive is not valid
  info: unable to satisfy constraint (build2 >= 0.17.0-) for package foo
  info: available build2 version is 0.16.0
\

There are three alternative ways to proceed in this situation:

\ol|

\li|Wait until the next release and then publish the package to
\c{cppget.org}.|

\li|If the requirement for the staged toolchain is \"minor\", that is, it
doesn't affect the common functionality of the package or only affects a small
subset of platforms/compilers, then you can lower the toolchain version
requirement and publish the package to \c{cppget.org}. For example, if
you require the staged toolchain because of a bugfix that only affects
one platform, it doesn't make sense to delay publishing the package
since it is perfectly usable on all the platforms in the meantime.|

\li|Publish it to \l{https://queue.stage.build2.org queue.stage.build2.org},
the staging package repository. This repository contain new packages that
require the staged toolchain to work and which will be automatically
moved to \c{cppget.org} once the staged version is released. The other
advantage of publishing to this repository (besides not having to remember
to manually publish the package once the staged version is released) is
that your package becomes available from an archive repository (which is
substantially faster than a \c{git} repository).

To publish to this repository, use the following \c{bdep-publish} command
line:

\
$ bdep publish --repository=https://stage.build2.org ...
\

||


"