autoconf-2.50b released

[Akim Demaille]

I've uploaded Autoconf 2.50b on alpha.  I'd like to have another
release soon.  Sorry for 2.50b: I messed up 2.50a.

I believe the remaining tasks are (at least)

* Mandatory
- consider the changes from Tim for extensions
- have a definitive interface for AC_CHECK_HEADERS.
  What I did is not satisfying as it's... totally useless (more
  in another thread).

* Would be good
- documenting autoscan as a checker
- documenting more macros
- have tests for autoscan
- documenting more portability issues for various functions

  ftp://alpha.gnu.org/gnu/autoconf/autoconf-2.50b.tar.gz   (824k        
autoconf-2.50b.tar.gz)

Here is the MD5 signature for the .tar.gz file

41462f8dce56d1a2af327985be33a5d3  autoconf-2.50b.tar.gz

NEWS:
* Major changes in Autoconf 2.50b                       -*- outline -*-
** Documentation
- AC_ARG_VAR
- Quadrigraphs
  This feature was present in autoconf 2.50 but was not documented.
  For example, `@<:@' is translated to `[' just before output.  This
  is useful when writing strings that contain unbalanced quotes, or
  other hard-to-quote constructs.
- m4_pattern_forbid, m4_pattern_allow
- Tips for upgrading from 2.13.

** Default includes
- Now include stdint.h.
- sys/types.h and sys/stat.h are guarded.

** Bug fixes
- The test suite is more robust and presents less false failures.
- Invocation of GNU M4 now robust to POSIXLY_CORRECT.
- configure accepts --prefix='' again.
- AC_CHECK_LIB works properly when its first argument is not a
  literal.
- HAVE_INTTYPES_H is defined only if not conflicting with sys/types.h.
- build_, host_, and target_alias are AC_SUBST as in 2.13.
- AC_ARG_VAR properly propagates precious variables inherited from the
  environment to ./config.status.
- Using --program-suffix/--program-prefix is portable.
- Failures to detect the default compiler's output extension are less
  likely.
- `config.status foo' works properly when `foo' depends on variables
  set in an AC_CONFIG_THING INIT-CMD.
- autoheader is more robust to broken input.

** Generic macros
- AC_CHECK_HEADER and AC_CHECK_HEADERS support a fourth argument to
  specify pre-includes.
- AC_ARG_VAR refuses to run configure when precious variables have
  changed.
- When a GNU compiler is found, its characteristics are dumped in the
  log.

** Specific Macros
- AC_PATH_XTRA only adds -ldnet to $LIBS if it's needed to link.
- AC_FUNC_WAIT3 and AC_SYS_RESTARTABLE_SYSCALLS are obsoleted.
- AM_FUNC_ERROR_AT_LINE, AM_FUNC_FNMATCH, AM_FUNC_MKTIME,
  AM_FUNC_OBSTACK, and AM_FUNC_STRTOD are now activated.
  Be sure to read `Upgrading from Version 2.13' to understand why
  running `autoupdate' is needed.

ChangeLog entries:

2001-06-26  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        Version 2.50b.

2001-06-26  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        Version 2.50a.

2001-06-25  Pavel Roskin  <address@hidden>

        * tests/atspecific.m4 (AT_CHECK_MACRO): Accept one more
        argument, AUTOCONF-FLAGS.
        * tests/mktests.sh (update_exclude_list): Add
        AC_SYS_RESTARTABLE_SYSCALLS and AC_FUNC_WAIT3.
        * tests/semantics.at: Test AC_SYS_RESTARTABLE_SYSCALLS and
        AC_FUNC_WAIT3 with "-W no-obsolete".

2001-06-25  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * tests/foreign.at (libtool): Fix the `libtoolize --version' decoding.

2001-06-25  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * autoscan.in (%macro): Now maps from word to list of macros.
        (&init_tables): Die when a word which is already handled by
        explicit macros is mapped to the default macro.
        (&print_unique): Remove, inlined in...
        (&output_kind): here.
        (File::Basename): Use it.
        (&output): Sort the CONFIG_FILES.
        * acheaders: Normalize.
        * acfunctions: Likewise.

2001-06-25  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * aclang.m4 (_AC_LANG_COMPILER_GNU): If GNU, dump the compiler
        characteristics in the logs.
        Suggested by Mo DeJong.

2001-06-24  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * acfunctions.m4 (AM_FUNC_ERROR_AT_LINE, AM_FUNC_FNMATCH)
        (AM_FUNC_MKTIME, AM_FUNC_OBSTACK, AM_FUNC_STRTOD): Reactivated.
        * doc/autoconf.texi (Autoconf 2.13): New section.

2001-06-24  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * autoconf.in (Task traces): Separate the error messages from the
        traces to improve robustness.


2001-06-23  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * tests/torture.at (AC_ARG_VAR): Make it a single test instead of
        three as failures are unlikely, and speed matters.

2001-06-23  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * doc/autoconf.texi (Redefined M4 Macros): New.

2001-06-23  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * acgeneral.m4 (_AC_INCLUDES_DEFAULT_REQUIREMENTS): Consider
        inttypes.h is missing if it conflicts with sys/types.h, as on IRIX
        5.3.

2001-06-23  Paolo Bonzini <address@hidden>

        * acgeneral.m4 (_AC_OUTPUT_CONFIG_STATUS): Defer parsing of
        config.status targets to after the evaluation of the INIT-CMDS.
        Double quote config.status targets (used to be single quoted).

2001-06-23  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * tests/torture.at (CONFIG_FILES, HEADERS, LINKS and COMMANDS):
        Check the content of the created file.
        Check the ./config.status command line invocation.

2001-06-23  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * tests/foreign.at (Libtool): Reject prehistoric versions.

2001-06-23  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * aclang.m4 (_AC_COMPILER_EXEEXT_DEFAULT): Try to be robust to
        preexisting files matching a.*.

2001-06-23  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * acgeneral.m4 (_AC_ARG_VAR_VALIDATE): Output error messages on
        stderr.
        * doc/autoconf.texi (AC_ARG_VAR): Update.

2001-06-21  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * acgeneral.m4 (_AC_ARG_VAR_VALIDATE): Die instead of warning when
        precious variables have changed.
        * tests/torture.at (AC_ARG_VAR): Adjust.

2001-06-21  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        ./configure --program-suffix=foo produces `transform=s,$$,foo,;',
        but some sed choke on multiple `;', and other tools (e.g.,
        Automake), include the separator themselves.

        * acgeneral.m4 (AC_ARG_VAR): Be sure not to leave extra `;'.

2001-06-19  Tim Van Holder  <address@hidden>

        * doc/autoconf.texi (Functions Portability): Rename as...
        (Function Portability): this.
        (Function Portability): Document potential problems with unlink().

2001-06-19  Paul Eggert  <address@hidden>

        * NEWS, doc/autoconf.texi: Document quadrigraphs.

2001-06-18  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * acfunctions.m4 (AC_FUNC_FORK): Fix typos.

2001-06-18  Rüdiger Kuhlmann  <address@hidden>

        * acfunctions.m4: (AC_FUNC_VFORK) rename as...
        (_AC_FUNC_VFORK): this.
        Remove AC_DEFINEs and don't guess cross-compilation values.
        (_AC_FUNC_FORK): New, check whether fork() isn't just a stub.
        (AC_FUNC_FORK): New, use _AC_FUNC_VFORK and _AC_FUNC_FORK to
        define HAVE_WORKING_FORK, HAVE_WORKING_VFORK; and vfork to fork if
        vfork doesn't work.
        Guess values if cross-compiling, but warn.
        * acfunctions: Add AC_FUNC_FORK.
        * doc/autoconf.texi: Document AC_FUNC_FORK. Give example to define
        and vfork appropriately.

2001-06-18  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * doc/autoconf.texi (Functions Portability): New section.

2001-06-18  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * autoconf.in (M4): Pass --nesting-limit=1024, unless already set
        in $M4.
        Suggested by Andreas Schwab.

2001-06-18  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * acfunctions.m4 (AC_FUNC_CHOWN, AC_FUNC_CLOSEDIR_VOID)
        (AC_FUNC_GETPGRP, AC_FUNC_LSTAT_FOLLOWS_SLASHED_SYMLINK)
        (AC_FUNC_MMAP, AC_FUNC_SELECT_ARGTYPES, _AC_FUNC_STAT)
        (AC_FUNC_UTIME_NULL): Use AC_INCLUDES_DEFAULT.
        Don't use AC_TRY_RUN, which double quotes, prefer AC_RUN_IFELSE,
        and either AC_LANG_SOURCE or AC_LANG_PROGRAM.
        (AC_FUNC_CLOSEDIR_VOID): Protect C++ from `int closedir ();' (or
        the converse).

2001-06-18  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * doc/autoconf.texi (ms): New index.
        (Macro Index): Rename as...
        (Autoconf Macro Index): this.
        (M4 Macro Index): New appendix.
        (Programming in M4): New chapter.
        Define M4sugar, M4sh, m4_pattern_forbid, and m4_pattern_allow.
        (Quoting): Rename as...
        (M$ Quotation): this.
        Be part of `Programming in M4).

2001-06-18  Nicolas Joly  <address@hidden>

        * tests/torture.at (AC_ARG_VAR): Set variables and export them
        in separate statements for compatibility with Tru64 v5.1.

2001-06-17  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * acgeneral.m4 (_AC_ARG_VAR_VALIDATE): Be sure to cache the
        current values of the precious variables, not the previously
        cached values.
        Pass precious variables which are set to config.status.
        * doc/autoconf.texi (Setting Output Variables): Document AC_ARG_VAR.
        * tests/torture.at (AC_ARG_VAR): New.

2001-06-15  Paul Eggert  <address@hidden>

        * doc/autoconf.texi: Move AC_FUNC_WAIT3 and
        AC_SYS_RESTARTABLE_SYSCALLS to the obsolete section,
        and explain why and how to replace them.
        * acfunctions.m4 (AC_FUNC_WAIT3): Warn as obsolete.
        * acspecific.m4 (AC_SYS_RESTARTABLE_SYSCALLS): Likewise.

2001-06-15  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        `build_alias', `host_alias', and `target_alias' are not AC_SUBST'd.
        Reported by Bruno Haible.

        * acgeneral.m4 (AC_ARG_VAR): Move the AC_SUBST, from here...
         (_AC_ARG_VAR_PRECIOUS): to here.

2001-06-15  Pavel Roskin  <address@hidden>

        * acheaders.m4 (_AC_CHECK_HEADER_DIRENT): Instead of defining
        an unused pointer use cast to this type and `if' statement to
        avoid warnings from the compiler.
        (AC_HEADER_TIME): Likewise.
        * actypes.m4 (AC_CHECK_MEMBER): s/foo/ac_aggr/. Use the member
        in `if' statement to avoid warnings from the compiler. Declare
        ac_aggr static to avoid the need to initialize it.

2001-06-14  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * doc/autoconf.texi (Portable Shell): Move to follow `Writing
        Macros'.

2001-06-13  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * m4/missing.m4, config/missing: Updated to Automake 1.4g's.
        Suggested by Alexander Mai.

2001-06-13  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * acgeneral.m4 (_AC_INCLUDES_DEFAULT_REQUIREMENTS): Guard
        sys/types.h and sys/stat.h, and check for them.

2001-06-13  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * acheaders.m4 (AC_CHECK_HEADER, AC_CHECK_HEADERS): Support $4 =
        INCLUDES.

2001-06-12  Maciej W. Rozycki  <address@hidden>

        * acspecific.m4 (AC_PATH_XTRA): Check if linking against libX11
        succeeds and only try adding libdnet upon a failure.

2001-06-12  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * autoscan.in (&output_kind): Output the comment only if it exists.
        (%kind_comment): Add entry for `programs'.
        (&output_programs): Use &output_kind.
        (&output_functions, &output_identifiers, &output_headers)
        (&output_programs): Inline, and remove.

2001-06-12  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * autoscan.in (%kind_comment): New.
        (output_kind): New.
        (output_functions, output_identifiers, output_headers): Use it.

2001-06-12  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * autoscan.in (&print_unique): Take `$kind' and `$word' as
        arguments, to factor indirections into `%macro' and `%used'.
        (%generic_macro): Fix a typo.

2001-06-12  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * aclibraries: New.
        * autoscan.in (@kinds): Add `libraries'.
        Use address@hidden' instead of hard coded lists.
        (%programs, %headers, %identifiers, %makevars, %libraries, %functions):
        Remove, replaced by...
        (%used): this.

2001-06-12  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * autoscan.in (%functions_macros %headers_macros)
        (%identifiers_macros %programs_macros %makevars_macros): Remove,
        replaced by...
        (%macro): New.

2001-06-11  Raja R Harinath  <address@hidden>

        * aclang.m4 (AC_NO_EXECUTABLES): Override
        _AC_COMPILER_EXEEXT_WORKS, not _AC_LANG_COMPILER_WORKS.

2001-06-11  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * aclang.m4 (AC_NO_EXECUTABLES): Define the macros with their
        trailing new line.
        Reported by Andreas Schwab.

2001-06-11  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * Makefile.am, Makefile.maint: Typos.

2001-06-09  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * doc/autoconf.texi (Here-Documents): New section, gathering
        documentation about here-documents.
        Use `href', not `uref', and other changes.

2001-06-09  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * doc/autoconf.texi (Portable Shell Programming): Promoted as a
        chapter.

2001-06-09  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * doc/autoconf.texi (Limitations of Builtins): Complete the
        description of the here-docs penalties with Alexandre Oliva's
        explanations.

2001-06-01  Paul Eggert  <address@hidden>

        * doc/autoconf.texi: Talk about here documents and speedups.
        Do not use "echo" on arbitrary strings.
        Spell "here-documents" consistently with the standard.

2001-06-09  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * doc/autoconf.texi (Concept Index): Introduce it.
        Regenerate the menus.

2001-06-09  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * Makefile.maint, GNUmakefile: New, from Jim Meyering.
        * config/prev-version.txt: New.
        * config/move-if-change: New, for GNU libc.

2001-06-06  Pavel Roskin  <address@hidden>

        * tests/atgeneral.m4 (AT_INIT): Remove "/bin/sh" after $SHELL.

2001-06-06  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * acgeneral.m4 (AC_CHECK_LIB): Fix the cache var name to work
        properly when $1 is not a literal.
        Fixes PR Autoconf/187, reported by Bram Moolenaar.

2001-06-06  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        Invoking AC_COPYRIGHT before AC_INIT fails.

        * Makefile.am (.m4.m4f): Pass --fatal-warnings to m4.
        * acgeneral.m4 (_m4_divert(VERSION_FSF))
        (_m4_divert(VERSION_USER)): New.
        (AC_COPYRIGHT): $2 is the diversion to use.
        (_AC_INIT_COPYRIGHT): Use the FSF diversion.
        (AC_INIT): Remove dead comments as now it's commutative.

2001-06-06  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * tests/semantics.at (AC_CHECK_LIB): Strengthen to reflect
        PR autoconf/187.

2001-06-05  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * acgeneral.m4 (_AC_INIT_PARSE_ARGS): `prefix' and `exec_prefix'
        can be empty.
        `*dir' variables cannot be NONE.
        Reported by Mark Kettenis.

2001-06-05  Paul Eggert  <address@hidden>

        * doc/autoconf.texi: Fix references to Solaris and SunOS versions.

2001-06-04  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * acgeneral.m4 (AC_VAR_SET, AC_VAR_GET, AC_VAR_TEST_SET)
        (AC_VAR_SET_IFELSE, AC_VAR_PUSHDEF and AC_VAR_POPDEF, AC_TR_CPP)
        (AC_TR_SH): Move as...
        * m4sh.m4 (AS_VAR_SET, AS_VAR_GET, AS_VAR_TEST_SET)
        (AS_VAR_SET_IF, AC_VAR_PUSHDEF, AS_VAR_POPDEF, AS_TR_CPP)
        (AS_TR_SH): these.
        (_AS_TR_PREPARE, _AS_CR_PREPARE, _AS_TR_CPP_PREPARE)
        (_AS_TR_SH_PREPARE): New.
        (AS_SHELL_SANITIZE): Invoke _AS_TR_PREPARE.
        * tests/aclocal.m4 (AC_STATE_SAVE): `as_' vars can be modified.

2001-06-02  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * Makefile.am (.m4.m4f): Pass the options first.
        Fixes PR autoconf/182.

2001-06-02  Nathan Sidwell  <address@hidden>

        GNU getopt, when POSIXLY_CORRECT does not permute options and
        arguments.  So pass the options first.
        Fixes PR autoconf/184.

        * autoconf.sh (m4_prefiles, m4f_prefiles): New variables.
        (run_m4): Remove files.
        (run_m4f): Remove.
        Update remainder of script to use them.
        (for warning in): Do not use a literal comma as it will not be
        split by IFS.

2001-06-02  Christian Marquardt  <address@hidden>

        * aclang.m4 (AC_PROG_F77): Add Fujitsu's "frt" to the list of
        Fortran compilers to check.
        (_AC_PROG_F77_V): Add '-###' as a possible option to print
        information on library and object files.
        (AC_PROG_CXX): Add Fujitsu's "FCC" to the list of C++ compilers
        to check.

2001-06-02  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * autom4te.in (Request::@request): Declare with `vars', not `my',
        as it prevents updates via `do FILENAME'.

2001-06-02  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * configure.in (standards_texi): Remove, dead code.

2001-06-02  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * autom4te.in: New.

2001-06-02  Pavel Roskin  <address@hidden>

        * acgeneral.m4 (_AC_INIT_PREPARE): Don't rely on $? in the traps
        for signals other than 0 - exit with code 1.
        * m4sh.m4 (AS_TMPDIR): Likewise.
        * autoconf.in: Likewise. Also don't rely on exit == exit $?.
        * autoheader.in: Likewise.
        * autoreconf.in: Likewise.
        * tests/torture.at (Signal handling): New test for the above.

2001-06-01  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * m4sugar.m4 (m4_defn, m4_undefine, m4_popdef): Clarify the error
        message.

2001-05-31  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * acfunctions, acheaders, acidentifiers, acmakevars, acprograms:
        Add copyright and comments.
        * acheaders: Add stdint.h.
        Suggested by Paul Eggert.

2001-05-31  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * atgeneral.m4 (AT_INIT): Use $SHELL.
        * atspecific.m4 (AT_CHECK_DEFINES): Skip HAVE_STDINT_H.

2001-05-31  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * acgeneral.m4 (_AC_INCLUDES_DEFAULT_REQUIREMENTS): Include
        stdint.h.
        From Paul Eggert and Lars Hecking.

2001-05-31  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * tests/base.at: Adjust line numbers in error messages.

2001-05-31  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * tests/base.at, tests/m4sh.at: When using AC_PLAIN_SCRIPT be sure
        to emit the bangshe line.
        Reported by David Carter.

2001-05-30  Steven G. Johnson  <address@hidden>

        * aclang.m4 (AC_PROG_F77): Add Compaq's "fort" to the list of
        Fortran (95) compilers to check.

2001-05-29  Alexandre Duret-Lutz  <address@hidden>

        * doc/autoconf.texi (Introduction, Pointers): Update the Autoconf
        Macro Archive URL.

2001-05-23  Pavel Roskin  <address@hidden>

        * aclang.m4 (AC_PROG_CPP): Use `break' instead of `break 2' since
        _AC_PROG_PREPROC_WORKS_IFELSE expands arguments outside the loop.
        (AC_PROG_CXXCPP): Likewise.

2001-05-22  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * config: New directory.
        * configure.in: AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR it.
        * tests/atspecific.m4 (AT_CONFIGURE_AC): Adjust.

2001-05-22  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * autoconf.in, autoreconf.in, autoheader.in, autoscan.in, ifnames.in,
        * autoupdate.in: Specify the Emacs mode.
        * acversion.m4.in: Rename as...
        * acversion.m4: this.
        * tests/Makefile.am (CLEANFILES): More garbage.

2001-05-22  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * autoconf.sh, autoreconf.sh, autoheader.sh, autoscan.pl, ifnames.sh:
        Rename as...
        * autoconf.in, autoreconf.in, autoheader.in, autoscan.in, ifnames.in:
        these.

2001-05-21  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * configure.in: Bump to 2.50a.