Re: MinGW status

[Ralf Wildenhues]

* Bob Friesenhahn wrote on Sun, Oct 03, 2004 at 05:37:54PM CEST:
> On Sun, 3 Oct 2004, Ralf Wildenhues wrote:
> >>>>`lt__error_strings' assumed to have one element
> >>>
> >>>This is bad news indeed (but a different matter).  It essentially means
> >>>that we are breaking binary compatibility as soon as we add another
> >>>warning, right? (The array size is part of the ABI).  Very unfortunate.
> >>
> >>At first glance it does not appear to be a problem since the interface
> >>is merely an array of string pointers and the index into the array
> >>should be generated by libltdl itself so the array index should always
> >>be in bounds.  Am I wrong?
> >
> >Well, I'm not an expert on this subject.  In Drepper's `How To Write
> >Shared Libraries', chapter 3.1, he mentions that ``On platforms which
> >require copy relocations to handle access to variables defined in DSOs
> >in the main application (such as IA-32) the size of the variable must
> >not change at all.  Otherwise variables might increase in size.''
> >I don't what exactly is meant here, and consequently I don't know if
> >it applies to this case.
> 
> The array is represented by a single pointer, and that pointer has a 
> fixed size, so it seems ok to me.

Well, eventually I'd like a more thorough explanation of this matter,
because your argument does not sound too convincing to me.

> >>As far as how libltdl's build goes, I do not like it at all that
> >>libltdl is unnecessary introducing another installed library.  I don't
> >>see a need for it.  I also don't like it that libltdl's Makefile.am is
> >>referencing Automake's internal variables.
> >
> >Which ones are Automake internal and not published interface?
> 
> Any name which is generated by Automake and not described by the 
> Automake documentation is not a published interface.  These internal 
> variables are easily learned by reading the generated Makefile, but 
> using them is essentially a statement that Automake will work the same 
> for the rest of time, or that it worked the same in previous versions.

We don't understand each other:  Can you explicitly name one
(or, preferably, all) variables which are internal, not published in
`info Automake' and which appear in libltdl/Makefile.am?
I simply do not know which ones you are talking about.  A quick glance
turned up *all* of them in the documentation (but I really like to be
proven wrong on this one, because it was late when I looked).

Thank you,
Ralf