Efforts to support MSVC 14.0

[David Ostrovsky]

On Mon, 2015-09-07 at 08:11 -0500, Norbert Thiebaud wrote:
> On Mon, Sep 7, 2015 at 1:43 AM, David Ostrovsky wrote:
> >
> > As you may know there are efforts underway: [1] to support MSVC 14.0.
> > After fixing around 20 external libraries and some core places to
> > support new compiler, the code can be (more or less) compiled. The tests
> > are failing because of EH issue in uno bridge (more on this below).
> >
> > I have a couple of questions:
> >
> > * Support UCRT, SDK 10 and .NET 4.6 is quite intrusive change: [2] and
> > no wonder, that it's pending for review for months now... nevertheless
> > if /me don't see any objections, i will merge this change next week.
> 
> Well as long as it does not regress _existing_ platform no problem.

Actually after comment from Michael Stahl. I've rewritten this change 
from scratch. Now it's smaller and should be easier to review.

> 
> > * Python 3.5 upgrade is needed to support new compiler: [3]. I don't
> > have access to Mac OS X atm. Can someone check why Jenkins job on this
> > platform is failing: [4]? Moreover new Python release has announced to
> > discontinue support for older MS compilers (VS 2013). We never dropped
> > support for older compiler during introduction of a new one, right? Or
> > would this be a option?
> 
> No that is not an option.
> having a 'jump over the cliff' commit is just not manageable from a ci
> perspective.. not to mention for every other person that currently
> build for windows.

OK, so we've moved old external/python3 directory to python33. This 
location is only used with old (default VS 2013) compiler.

> >Can someone check why Jenkins job on this
> platform is failing: [4]?
> 
> If fails because python3/Mac/Makefile.in has changed and does not
> install pythonw in the framework anymore.

Thanks. Fixed.

There is one problem with MSI, merge module. During the installation, 
runtime DLLs are installed in wrong directory: [1]. Workaround is to 
install redist package manually: [2].

Next steps:

* merge pending changes in gerrit: [3]
* set up Tinderbox with new compiler and upload binary artifacts
* ask QA folks to test
* migrate other tinderboxes to use the new compiler
* rise compiler baseline and discontinue support for VS 2013
* drop old python33 directory

* [1]
https://connect.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/feedback/details/1746644/microsoft-vc140-crt-x64-msm-merge-module-installs-c-c-runtime-dlls-in-x32-folder
* [2] https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=48145
* [3] https://gerrit.libreoffice.org/#/q/status:open+project:core
+branch:master+topic:vs-2015