Unable to build HELICS with AppleClang

[trevorhardy]

Describe the bug Unable to build main branch of HELICS library with AppleClang.

Environment (please complete the following information):

• Operating System: macOS Ventura 13.6
• Language Extension: n/a
• AppleClang v.15.0.0
• Boost v1.73.0
• HELICS version: main branch (v4.3.1, I'm guessing?)

Compile error messages

[ 12%] Building CXX object ThirdParty/utilities/gmlc/utilities/CMakeFiles/gmlc_utilities.dir/vectorOps.cpp.o
[ 13%] Building CXX object ThirdParty/utilities/gmlc/utilities/CMakeFiles/gmlc_utilities.dir/timeStringOps.cpp.o
In file included from /Users/hard312/src/HELICS/HELICS/ThirdParty/utilities/gmlc/utilities/timeStringOps.cpp:11:
In file included from /Users/hard312/src/HELICS/HELICS/ThirdParty/utilities/gmlc/utilities/string_viewConversion.h:21:
In file included from /Users/hard312/anaconda3/include/boost/spirit/home/x3.hpp:14:
In file included from /Users/hard312/anaconda3/include/boost/spirit/home/x3/auxiliary.hpp:11:
In file included from /Users/hard312/anaconda3/include/boost/spirit/home/x3/auxiliary/any_parser.hpp:17:
In file included from /Users/hard312/anaconda3/include/boost/spirit/home/x3/support/traits/move_to.hpp:12:
In file included from /Users/hard312/anaconda3/include/boost/spirit/home/x3/support/traits/attribute_category.hpp:16:
In file included from /Users/hard312/anaconda3/include/boost/spirit/home/x3/support/traits/is_variant.hpp:11:
In file included from /Users/hard312/anaconda3/include/boost/variant.hpp:17:
In file included from /Users/hard312/anaconda3/include/boost/variant/variant.hpp:21:
In file included from /Users/hard312/anaconda3/include/boost/type_index.hpp:29:
In file included from /Users/hard312/anaconda3/include/boost/type_index/stl_type_index.hpp:47:
/Users/hard312/anaconda3/include/boost/container_hash/hash.hpp:131:33: error: no template named 'unary_function' in namespace 'std'; did you mean '__unary_function'?
        struct hash_base : std::unary_function<T, std::size_t> {};
                           ~~~~~^
/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/SDKs/MacOSX14.0.sdk/usr/include/c++/v1/__functional/unary_function.h:46:1: note: '__unary_function' declared here
using __unary_function = __unary_function_keep_layout_base<_Arg, _Result>;
^
1 error generated.
make[2]: *** [ThirdParty/utilities/gmlc/utilities/CMakeFiles/gmlc_utilities.dir/timeStringOps.cpp.o] Error 1
make[1]: *** [ThirdParty/utilities/gmlc/utilities/CMakeFiles/gmlc_utilities.dir/all] Error 2
make: *** [all] Error 2

[trevorhardy]

I've done a bit more testing and I'm getting the same error when trying to build v3.3.2 and v3.2.1. Based on the folders I'm seeing in my "install" folder on my computer, I'm fairly certain I have been able to build v3.3.2 on this computer in the past. Maybe this is more an issue with my Boost installation?

[phlptp]

My guess would be some sort of incompatibility between the older version of boost and the newest version of appleClang.

[phlptp]

Hopefully the newer versions of boost fix it

[phlptp]

If need be I think there is a CMake option to disable that bit of code, I can dig that up if you want

[trevorhardy]

This is relevant but I'm still fuzzy on what's going on exactly. Is boost 1.82.0 (I upgraded) not C++17 compatible? https://stackoverflow.com/questions/63577103/what-is-an-equivalent-replacement-for-stdunary-function-in-c17

I'm going to try adding the following option and see if it will build: _LIBCPP_ENABLE_CXX17_REMOVED_UNARY_BINARY_FUNCTION

[trevorhardy]

OK, I feel foolish: how do I set the flag? I normally just use ccmake to set my build options and (as you might guess) this flag is not one of the options.

[phlptp]

in the HELICS CMAKE set GMLC_UTILITIES_USE_BOOST_SPIRIT=OFF in some way. That will disable that bit of code.

[phlptp]

That flag you were referencing would have to be set in the C++ code, you would have to set it via the CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS

[trevorhardy]

Setting your flag (by editing CMakeCache.txt after generating by running cmake .. and ccmake .), @phlptp, allowed me to build v3.4.0 on my machine. I'm closing this out.