[CMake] CMake and Lua

Bill Hoffman bill.hoffman at kitware.com
Thu Feb 28 09:53:25 EST 2008


Brandon Van Every wrote:

> 
> Only thing problematic I could see, is if someone's getting clever and
> using CMake script to generate CMake script.  I think it would be
> reasonable to make such people untangle their metaprogramming.
> 
That's crazy, no one would do something like that...  But even if they 
did, I would not want to invalidate there effort by obsoleting the 
language they programmed in.


>>  It would be much safer and easier to continue
>>  to support it in the core of CMake.
> 
> It's 2x work to support CMake script and Lua indefinitely.
Actually, I don't agree with you here, and it would be me and the CMake 
team maintaining it and not you.  I believe backwards compatibility is 
key to adoption of software.  For a good read see here: 
http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/APIWar.html
See the part about how the DOS game SimCity had a bug, and Microsoft 
worked around that bug.  If something does not build with CMake, then 
CMake will get blamed. If a translator fails CMake will get blamed.
> 
>>  I just don't believe that
>>  translation can work, and the fun part is that it can't even be proved
>>  that the translator works 100% of the time...
> 
> That's not a realistic concern though.  You will either decide to move
> on to Lua or you won't.  Any amount of excuses can be invented if you
> aren't willing.

It is a valid concern but has nothing to do with the using Lua or not. 
Translators don't work for 100% of the cases, that is a fact!  You of 
all people should realize that. However, supporting both languages is an 
option.

Also, please refrain from calling me a liar.  I am being very honest in 
my discussion here.  There are no hidden motives or invented excuses. 
You may not agree with me, but that does not mean I am inventing 
excuses.  If this is how you treated the Chicken maintainer, he may have 
dropped CMake just to get you off his mailing list....

I just got back from talking about CMake at FOSDEM, and was very pleased 
with the reception CMake is getting in the European open source 
community.  Many folks are using it, and like it.  No one complained 
about the language.  One person asked about Lua, and was mildly 
interested but could talk it or leave it.  I told him we were still 
evaluating the option and we are.

-Bill


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