Re: Site Macro Directory

[Mark D. Roth]

On Wed May 22 15:50 2002 -0700, Paul Eggert wrote:
> On Wed, 22 May 2002 13:56:33 -0500, Mark D. Roth wrote:
> >   * autoconf's search path should be:
> >       1. the current directory (i.e., $top_srcdir)
> 
> But the current directory is not top_srcdir in all cases.
> E.g. an include file in one directory might include another.
> Why is it important to have the current directory in the path?

It's important to have $top_srcdir as the first element in the search
path so that package-specific files take precedence over files in
other directories.  I was under the impression that autoconf needed to
be invoked in the top source directory, in which case the current
directory will always be $top_srcdir.  Or am I wrong about that?

Including one file from another shouldn't be a problem.  If the
directory that the files are in is in the search path, then you can
include one from other and they'll both be found.


> >       2. the directories specified in $AC_MACRO_PATH (if set)
> 
> That's an environment variable?  Are entries separated by ":"?
> Must they be absolute path names?

Yes to all three.


> >   * add configure option for setting system-wide site macro directory
> 
> What's the default?

I'd recommend something like "${datadir}/autoconf/site_macros".


> I'd like to hear Akim's opinion, since he's the AC_INCLUDE guru.

Me too. :)


> My own reaction is positive, but I would suggest that you write up the
> proposal, as a proposed patch to the manual.  (Often the documentation
> is the hardest to write, so perhaps it'll be easier for you if you
> implement it and then document it.  :-)

No problem.  I'll mail the documentation patch to the list when I have
it done.


Thanks for the feedback!

-- 
Mark D. Roth <address@hidden>
http://www.feep.net/~roth/