subversion python bindings fail to build in separate directory.

[Michael McNeil Forbes <mi...@gmail.com>]

I tried building subversion from a directory _build in the source
(rather than building in tree).  This worked fine for subversion,
but the swig bindings failed because (for example) svn_client.c
was not copied to _build/subversion/bindings/swig/python/

Building in tree works fine, but the configure process should probably
be modified so that the bindings can also be built out of tree.

Michael.

P.S. The documentation about how to build the bindings is
*extremely* poorly advertised.  A search for "python bindings"
on the main page should at least turn up something that tells
people to read the INSTALL file in the subversion/bindings/swig
directory as one of the first links...

Re: subversion python bindings fail to build in separate directory.

[Stefan Sperling <st...@elego.de>]

On Thu, Jul 29, 2010 at 03:43:54AM -0700, Michael McNeil Forbes wrote:
> I tried building subversion from a directory _build in the source
> (rather than building in tree).  This worked fine for subversion,
> but the swig bindings failed because (for example) svn_client.c
> was not copied to _build/subversion/bindings/swig/python/
> 
> Building in tree works fine, but the configure process should probably
> be modified so that the bindings can also be built out of tree.

Yes, I've encountered this, too. No time to fix it though.
It does not prevent me from being productive, I just decided
to do in-tree builds.

> Michael.
> 
> P.S. The documentation about how to build the bindings is
> *extremely* poorly advertised.  A search for "python bindings"
> on the main page should at least turn up something that tells
> people to read the INSTALL file in the subversion/bindings/swig
> directory as one of the first links...

You probably won't like this answer, but please feel encouraged to improve
both the build process and the documentation of the bindings.
And also the web site, which is here:
http://svn.apache.org/repos/asf/subversion/site/

See http://subversion.apache.org/docs/community-guide/general.html#patches

The bindings are fairly poorly maintained because most developers already
have their hands full with other things. We are in dire need of people
who step up to help out with maintaining them.

Thanks,
Stefan