Re: how to automatically generate package version, calling AC_INIT

[Raja R Harinath]

Hi,

Joost van Baal <address@hidden> writes:
[snip]
> So, I now do, in configure.ac:
>
>  m4_include([VERSION.m4])dnl
>  AC_INIT([My Package],
>        [VERSION],
>        address@hidden,
>        [mypackage])
>  AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE
>
> and in ./bootstrap, I have
>
>  echo 'm4_define([VERSION], ['`date +%Y%m%d`'])' > VERSION.m4
>
> However, this breaks:
>
>  % autoconf
>  % ./configure
>  checking for a BSD-compatible install... /usr/bin/install -c
>  checking whether build environment is sane... yes
>  checking whether make sets $(MAKE)... yes
>  ./configure: line 1413: 20030426=: command not found
>  checking for working aclocal-1.4... found
>  checking for working autoconf... found
>  checking for working automake-1.4... found
>  checking for working autoheader... found
>  <snip>
>
> Indeed,the generated ./configure has a line:
>
>  20030426=
[snip]
> Anybody got a clue on how to get this going?  Why does the value in the
> m4_define get used as a shellvariable name in configure?  How can I find
> out for myself?

There's a line somewhere

  VERSION=...

probably in one of the automake m4 macros.  Since m4 is a pure text
macro processor, without any understanding of shell syntax, it just
goes ahead and replaces the string 'VERSION' with the its
'm4_define'd value.  Try using a different name in VERSION.m4.

- Hari
-- 
Raja R Harinath ------------------------------ address@hidden