Re: configuring sub directories optional

[Stefan Seefeld]

Earnie Boyd wrote:
> Jeff Squyres wrote:
>
> > On Mon, 28 Oct 2002, Stefan Seefeld wrote:
> >
> >
> > > I'd like to use AC_CONFIG_SUBDIRS to configure a set of sub-packages,
> > > but I'm missing some functionality:
> > >
> > > I'd like to control what to do if configuration fails. Some sub-packages
> > > are mandatory, so if AC_CONFIG_SUBDIRS fails, the parent configure
> > > should report an error and bail out. Some, however, are optional, so I'd
> > > just like to skip them, i.e. not creating the build tree for these
> > > sub-packages at all.
> >
> >
> >
> > I'd like to second this request -- I recently had to write a huge
> > workaround for AC_CONFIG_SUBDIRS because it wouldn't let my [optional]
> > subdirectory configure's fail gracefully.  It would be highly preferable
> > if there was some kind of way of knowing whether the sub-configure 
> > failed,
> > and then allowing the top-level configure.ac to decide whether to 
> > continue
> > or not.
>
> And I would like it to butter my toast on both sides then top it with 
> jelly on one side and peanut butter on the other.  I just love sticky 
> messes! ;)

now that is a helpful message !
What is messy about the request ? On the contrary, it's just consistent
with all the other m4 tests, which allow to provide actions in case a
test succeeds / fails. Ok, may be AC_CONFIG_SUBDIRS wasn't considered
a test, but in this respect it may be should. Or that is a way to read
the request...

> I suppose checking for the existance of a created file in the 
> subdirectory from the top-level configure isn't a choice that one would 
> consider?

Can you elaborate ? I don't see how that would work.

Stefan