How to build tests using boost.test on mingw64?

Question

I'm trying to write some code using the boost libraries on windows 10. To build the application I have chosen mingw64, which I have installed together with MSYS2.

After downloading and installing the boost libraries(1.76), I tried this example code (https://www.boost.org/doc/libs/1_76_0/more/getting_started/windows.html#build-a-simple-program-using-boost), which I built fine using this command:

g++ .\example.cpp -o test.exe -IC:\Users\Benelli\BoostLib\boost_1_76_0\boost_1_76_0

This example works on my system so I assumed that the boost libraries are installed correctly, although I did not build them, but I understood that the boost.test libary can be used as "header only".

I written a simple code following this tutorial:https://www.boost.org/doc/libs/1_76_0/more/getting_started/windows.html#build-a-simple-program-using-boost.

#define BOOST_TEST_MODULE const_string test
#include <boost/test/unit_test.hpp>

This code does not compile and I really do not get why. Is the boost.test library really "header_only"? The command I used to build it was:

g++ .\boost_test_example.cpp -o boost_test.exe -IC:\Users\Benelli\BoostLib\boost_1_76_0\boost_1_76_0

Which gives this error message:

Answer 1

For the header only:

I think you need to use boost/test/included/unit_test.hpp as per the boost docs at https://www.boost.org/doc/libs/1_69_0/libs/test/doc/html/boost_test/adv_scenarios/single_header_customizations/multiple_translation_units.html

I had a similar winMain error and had to the define for BOOST_TEST_DYN_LINK to the top of the code (when i was linking against the libraries).

#define BOOST_TEST_DYN_LINK
#define BOOST_TEST_MODULE const_string test
#include <boost/test/unit_test.hpp>

When not using the header only for the undefined references link with the boost test library, eg -LC:/msys64/mingw64/lib -lboost_unit_test_framework-mt.