Re: AC_PATH_PROGS_FEATURE_CHECK results in namespace invasion

[Russ Allbery]

Peter Rosin <address@hidden> writes:

> It's not possible to use AC_PATH_PROGS_FEATURE_CHECK with a cache
> variable that does not start with ac_cv_path_ which is bad since one
> project might check for a certain capability of tool foo, while some
> other project is interested in some completely orthogonal capability of
> that same tool foo. As written, it is very likely that both projects
> will use the cache variable ac_cv_path_FOO for orthogonal purposes,
> which is bad by design.

Wouldn't you name the variable FOO_FEATURE?  In other words, I think the
example in the Autoconf manual is not the best, but the functionality you
need is there.  I would rewrite the example as:

    AC_CACHE_CHECK([for m4 that supports indir], [ac_cv_path_M4_indir],
      [AC_PATH_PROGS_FEATURE_CHECK([M4_indir], [m4 gm4],
          ...
    AC_SUBST([M4], [$ac_cv_path_M4_indir])

-- 
Russ Allbery (address@hidden)              <http://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/>