1.8 TODO (Was: Re: 02-distclean-test.diff)

[Alexandre Duret-Lutz]

>>> "Akim" == Akim Demaille <address@hidden> writes:

 Akim> When will you s/configure.in/configure.ac/?

Here is my personal TODO list about Automake.  It was last modified
on June 15th, so it lacks some issues that have been raised recently.

These are things *I* would like to work out before 1.8, at
least.  Other suggestions or patches for some of these are
welcome.

---

TODO for Automake 1.8, sorted by (my) order of importance.

* Rewrite the variable handling code OO-ly.  Should get rid of the
  most Nestable uses while doing so (Nestable is a showstopper).

* Rewrite the rule handling code OO-ly.  (But don't try to delay
  output for now.)  Should remove the remaining Nestable uses.

* Texinfo rules nightmare
  - Distributed *.info files should be kept in $(srcdir).  This used
    to be the case in 1.6.x and prior.  The change in 1.7 broke VPATH
    builds with *BSD makes.  Using $(srcdir) is also required by
    GNU Coding Standards.
  - Non-distributed *.info files should be built in `.' (as happens in
    1.7.x).  It's important.  Some projects, like Texinfo, already
    rely on this.
  - => we need a way to distinguish distributed *.info from
    non-distributed *.info.  Perhaps we could build a map of cleaned
    files.  (If the user is cleaning foo.info, then foo.info* are not
    distributed...)

* Fix General.pm (END, xsystem) with changes similar to those
  applied to Autoconf.  Adjust $? and $! in Channels.pm too (e.g.,
  so that confess call still use $exit_status).

* Update Automake to exit(63) on version mismatch.

* Update missing to handle $?==63 for autoconf/autoheader/automake.

* Use a configure test to set $(mkinstalldirs) to `mkdir -p'
  if supported.  Cc: Bruno before installing.

* Manual (wait for 1.7.x to fade out before changing these things)
  - Move to doc/
  - Add FDL
  - s/configure.in/configure.ac/g, it's time now.

* Suggest running libtoolize/autoreconf when config/ltmain.sh is missing.

* Discuss the autoheader/stamp-h1/autoreconf issue with Akim.

* Verbosity of fastdep compile rule?

* Check weird AC_CONFIG_FILES calls such as
  AC_CONFIG_FILES(Makefile:a:b:Makefile.in)

* Eric Siegerman <address@hidden> suggested using ::-rules
  for rebuild rules.  ::-rules are not POSIX be appear to be
  fairly well supported.  Add a spy in the test suite to be sure.
  We can't use them in Automake right now because Automake doesn't
  grok them (need to overhaul the rule handing code before
  changing this -- this will wait).

* Sync install-sh with mkinstalldirs.  There are things in
  mkinstalldirs (like the protection for directories starting
  with `-', that install-sh does not have.)

* Use Automake::Wrap to format diagnostics.

* `mkinstalldirs' could be replaced by `install-sh -d'?

* Add help2man man pages?

* Revisit the "Handle location of texinfo.tex" code.  Why
  is TEXINFO_TEX checked *after* config_aux_dir?

* Automake should not override COPYING (even with -a -f).
  Maybe it should not

* Fix whitespace with Akim's script (~/usr/bin/whitespace)

* Rename configure.in to configure.ac.


-- 
Alexandre Duret-Lutz