RE: how to specify arbitrary macro variable for config.h

[John Lumby]

> Date: Mon, 19 Jul 2010 07:46:15 +0200
> From: address@hidden
> To: address@hidden
> CC: address@hidden
> Subject: Re: how to specify arbitrary macro variable for config.h
>
> Hello John,
>
>> #define FOO_BARIAN_CHARACTERISTIC=VALUE
>
> you mean a space not = here.

Yes,  thanks  -  I do mean space.

>
>> in config.h
>>
>> How can I do this? I can see how by using AC_ARG_ENABLE and
>> AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED, but that would require that my option appear to be
>> an --enable-xxx kind - the user would have to specify
>> configure ... --enable-foo-barian-characteristic=VALUE
>> which is slightly misleading since this is a setting for a default feature.
>
> But your description in the second argument of AC_ARG_ENABLE can help
> clarify that, right?

True.     It just seems a little odd.      I am also surprised that in the 
course of building many packages,  I don't remember seeing some use of 
---enable-setting for this purpose before.      That's why I thought I may be 
missing something ...

>
> There is a reason configure does not accept arbitrary arguments: API
> consistency. For example, it should be possible to configure a number
> of (even unrelated) packages with the same command line, and developers
> should be able to stack packages using AC_CONFIG_SUBDIRS.
>
> The extension mechanisms are provided by --enable-* and --with-*
> arguments, and you shouldn't try to change that.
>
> Hope that helps.

Yes it does,   thanks for the response.

>
> Cheers,
> Ralf

                                          
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