Re: How to enable configure.ac to generate configure to must take arguments ?

[John Calcote]

On 3/10/2010 3:19 PM, TJ Yang wrote:
> > I still don't see why you think this is a good thing.  This violates the
> > GNU Coding Standards.  Most developers are already quite familiar with
> > the concept of './configure --help' if they want details, without having
> > to be told that with a no-argument run; and most packages are already
> > smart enough about doing a sane thing with a default of no arguments.
> >      
> I am learning autotool by autoconfiscating xymon project(see R1).
>    

Decide on reasonable defaults for these goals, and allow your uses to 
(optionally) provide variances.

> The existing hand-made "configure" script need to ask questions to
> decide following goals
> 1. build a local-client that process xymon messages before sending it out.
>      1.1 this option need to build bind to pcre library.
>    

Autoconf can locate your libraries for you - that's part of it's power. 
Still, if the user wants to use a custom version, he/she has the option 
of specifying a particular version rather than the one found.

> 2. build a centralize client which dump raw system message to server.
>      2.1 no need to bind to pcre .
>    

The default configuration should be to configure a makefile that will 
build everything. If the user want's to build only one of these, he/she 
should be able to enter the appropriate build directory and type make, 
or from the root, type make client or make server.

> 3  build a xymon server with depend on more server side software like
> ldap,rrdtool etc..
>    

Projects have dependencies. It's a fact of life. Don't try to cater to 
users that don't want to install the required dependencies. Just assume 
they have what they need. They'll get it if they need it.

John