ExtUtils::MakeMaker interface?

[mohawk2]

In a perfect world, EUMM will be able to "just do the right thing" with C++ XS files, the same as it does with C XS files. This means the C XS files model is probably a good place to start and probably stay close to.

What EUMM interface would we want to achieve this? The current proposal (visible on Perl-Toolchain-Gang/ExtUtils-MakeMaker#45) is to have XSTARGET_EXT. Do we think that if $guess->makemaker_options added that, anything else would be necessary?

[daoswald]

I can certainly start there: $guess->makemaker_options can add the XSTARGET_EXT => '.cpp' or whatever. EU::MM will just ignore the flag until it becomes supported, correct?

[Leont]

EU::MM will just ignore the flag until it becomes supported, correct?

It would complain loudly and then ignore it.

[mohawk2]

@daoswald, apart from XSTARGET_EXT, would there be anything else needed?

[daoswald]

I don't foresee anything currently. I'd like to follow Schwern's suggestion elsewhere (maybe not a JSON parser, but something reasonably trivial) to assure myself that would be sufficient. TODO list. ;)

[mohawk2]

Can you think of a suitably-sized C++ project we can use? We can make a CPAN release with a bundled modified EUMM and EUCG and ICPP and Inline (to test out changes to I::MakeMaker) and see what happens. Be a nice way to get the CPAN smoke-testing on it. If you can point me at the C++, I can hammer together the rest.

[daoswald]

I fairly trivial example could be derived from Math::Prime::FastSieve, which exists as a proof-of-concept for basing distributions on an Inline::CPP dependency. Break the C++ out into its own file, create a distribution around it, and done. Not sure if it rises to the level of complexity Schwern envisioned. I like it because we know it works on platforms that support Inline::CPP, and because it doesn't bring in distractions.

[mohawk2]

Since EUMM's XSMULTI feature has been merged, I now want to press ahead and make C++ be (better) supported in EUMM, possibly in a plugin. I intend to make EUCG be the recommended way to achieve this.