Re: [PATCH 1/3] quotes in configure.ac

[Ralf Wildenhues]

* William Pursell wrote on Sat, Nov 22, 2008 at 05:19:20PM CET:
> Ralf Wildenhues wrote:
>> How about this instead:
>>   For each @code{AC_REQUIRE_AUX_FILE(address@hidden@var{file}}])},
>>   @command{automake} will ensure that @address@hidden exists in the
>>   aux directory, and will complain otherwise.
>
> That reads well.

OK.  I went with that, except for removing the first @file{} (adding
@file inside @code is superfluous, and leads to wrong markup, unlike the
@var).

>>> +Several macros invoke @code{AC_SUBST} and cause certain
>>> +variables to be defined in each generated Makefile.in.
>>
>> Hmm, I'm not too fond of this sentence.  I don't really see what value
>> it adds over the following sentence.  Can you describe what information
>> you find lacking in the original text, maybe we can find a better way
>> then?
>
> When I was reading through the page, it just felt
> like something was missing there.  At first, I thought
> "If the Autoconf manual..." was a typo that should have
> read "In the Auto...", and it took me a while to realize
> what the paragraph is talking about.  It seems like there
> needs to be something introducing the idea that it's
> talking about other macros invoking AC_SUBST.

OK.  I rewrote the paragraph like this and squashed that into your
patch:

@@ -2905,12 +2905,13 @@ generated @file{Makefile.in}, unless 
@code{AM_SUBST_NOTMAKE} is also
 used for this variable.  @xref{Setting Output Variables, , Setting
 Output Variables, autoconf, The Autoconf Manual}.
 
-If the Autoconf manual says that a macro calls @code{AC_SUBST} for
address@hidden or defines the output variable @var{var}, then @var{var} will
-be defined in each @file{Makefile.in} generated by Automake.
-E.g.@: @code{AC_PATH_XTRA} defines @code{X_CFLAGS} and @code{X_LIBS}, so
-you can use these variables in any @file{Makefile.am} if
address@hidden is called.
+For every substituted variable @var{var}, @command{automake} will add
+a line @address@hidden = @var{value}} to each @file{Makefile.in} file.
+Many Autoconf macros invoke @code{AC_SUBST} to set output variables
+this way, e.g., @code{AC_PATH_XTRA} defines @code{X_CFLAGS} and
address@hidden  Thus, you can access these variables as
address@hidden(X_CFLAGS)} and @code{$(X_LIBS)} in any @file{Makefile.am}
+if @code{AC_PATH_XTRA} is called.
 
 @item AM_C_PROTOTYPES
 This is required when using the obsolete de-ANSI-fication feature; see

>> The third patch looks ok, except for one question:
>>>
>>> address@hidden AM_SUBST_NOTMAKE(@var{var})
>>> address@hidden AM_SUBST_NOTMAKE(@ovar{var})
>>
>> Why this change?  AM_SUBST_NOTMAKE currently supports having no
>> arguments, or an empty argument, but I don't see any value in allowing
>> users to use that.  What would be the gain?
>
> That's my mistake  I've gotten overly zealous about
> quoting in m4 macros and mistook the brackets, not realizing
> they were indicating optional arguments.

Yeah, texinfo optional argument markup and M4 quotation don't mix all
that well.  One can see the differences in the latex output only, and
even there, it can easily be overlooked at a glance.

Anyway, I've put the doc changes all in one patch, and pushed both
patches, to master and branch-1-10.

Cheers,
Ralf