Documentation for `searched-lib`

[Flamefire]

Brief problem description

I wasn't able to find documentation for searched-lib which is used in Boost Jamfiles.
This seems to be a long standing issue, see e.g. https://lists.boost.org/boost-build/2007/03/16287.php

What exactly is this searched-lib and how exactly is it supposed to be used?

Can this be added to the documentation please?

[grisumbras]

SEARCHED_LIB is a subtype of LIB that is mostly used internally (as far as I can see). searched-lib foo ; is equivalent to lib foo : : <name>foo ;. I feel like it would be better to actually replace all uses of searched-lib with lib than to publicize searched-lib.

[Flamefire]

Is lib foo : : <name>foo ; the same as lib foo ; or is there a difference?

I was asking for searched-lib as its use was recently introduced by @grafikrobot :
boostorg/locale@9277c65#diff-322788b77c72dedcc9b4a12bf0233ceb8451b4a6baa6d851173ecd5320ac14aeL135

So I have the impression it has some advantage. Is that the case or shall users/Boost libs rather use the plain lib?

[grisumbras]

Is lib foo : : foo ; the same as lib foo ; or is there a difference?

Actually, yes, it is. I missed that, because it is handled in a different place. So, lib foo ; is equivalent to lib foo : : <name>foo ;, which is equivalent to searched-lib foo : : <name>foo ;, which is equivalent to searched-lib foo ;.

[Lastique]

Note that searched-lib was spread across various Boost libraries during the modularization effort. If you want to switch away from it, you need to update all places where it was added.

[grafikrobot]

Using searched-lib was my mistake. So, yes, I need to create PRs to change those back to regular lib. IIRC the searched-lib ends up having slightly different target resolution "timing" but otherwise is the same as @grisumbras said.

[grafikrobot]

PS. We do want to document the equivalence of these though. :-)