Re: build-aux confusion

[Bruno Haible]

Hi Reuben,

> There seems to be some confusion about --aux-dir. gnulib --help says
> that its default value is "build-aux" ...
> On further investigation of gnulib-tool, this appears to be because it
> finds its value of auxdir from reading my configure.ac, which doesn't
> set a value, and hence defaults to the current directory.

Indeed. I'm fixing the documentation. The --aux-dir option has different
default values, depending on the operation mode. The default "build-aux"
is used for --create-testdir, --create-megatestdir, --test, --megatest,
but the option is less useful for these modes than for --import and
--add-import.

> by this point I've rather lost the plot trying to understand
> gnulib-tool

Damn. I write gnulib-tool as a shell script, rather than in C, Python, or
Java, with the intent that is easy to maintain. And you tell me that it is
not easily possible to determine the default value for a variable?! Honestly,
what is the problem with gnulib-tool? Why do you find it hard to understand?

Bruno


2010-09-19  Bruno Haible  <address@hidden>

        gnulib-tool: Fix --help output.
        * gnulib-tool (func_usage): Fix help message.
        Reported by Reuben Thomas <address@hidden>.

--- gnulib-tool.orig    Mon Sep 20 02:07:01 2010
+++ gnulib-tool Mon Sep 20 02:06:41 2010
@@ -163,6 +163,7 @@
        gnulib-tool --copy-file file [destination]
 
 Operation modes:
+
       --list                print the available module names
       --find                find the modules which contain the specified 
file${bold_on}
       --import              import the given modules into the current package
@@ -199,6 +200,7 @@
       --copy-file                  copy a file that is not part of any module
 
 General options:
+
       --dir=DIRECTORY       Specify the target directory.
                             For --import, this specifies where your
                             configure.ac can be found.  Defaults to current
@@ -210,10 +212,13 @@
       --verbose             Increase verbosity. May be repeated.
       --quiet               Decrease verbosity. May be repeated.
 
-Options for --import, --update:
+Options for --import, --add/remove-import, --update:
+
       --dry-run             Only print what would have been done.
 
-Options for --import, --create-[mega]testdir, --[mega]test:
+Options for --import, --add/remove-import,
+            --create-[mega]testdir, --[mega]test:
+
       --with-tests          Include unit tests for the included modules.
       --with-obsolete       Include obsolete modules when they occur among the
                             dependencies. By default, dependencies to obsolete
@@ -233,7 +238,8 @@
       --libtool             Use libtool rules.
       --no-libtool          Don't use libtool rules.
 
-Options for --import:
+Options for --import, --add/remove-import:
+
       --lib=LIBRARY         Specify the library name.  Defaults to 'libgnu'.
       --source-base=DIRECTORY
                             Directory relative to --dir where source code is
@@ -248,7 +254,7 @@
                             Directory relative to --dir where unit tests are
                             placed (default \"tests\").
       --aux-dir=DIRECTORY   Directory relative to --dir where auxiliary build
-                            tools are placed (default \"build-aux\").
+                            tools are placed (default comes from configure.ac).
       --lgpl[=2|=3]         Abort if modules aren't available under the LGPL.
                             Also modify license template from GPL to LGPL.
                             The version number of the LGPL can be specified;
@@ -266,6 +272,7 @@
       --no-changelog        Don't update or create ChangeLog files.
 
 Options for --create-[mega]testdir, --[mega]test:
+
       --without-c++-tests   Exclude unit tests for C++ interoperability.
       --without-longrunning-tests
                             Exclude unit tests that are long-runners.
@@ -274,12 +281,15 @@
       --without-unportable-tests
                             Exclude unit tests that fail on some platforms.
 
-Options for --import, --update, --create-[mega]testdir, --[mega]test:
+Options for --import, --add/remove-import, --update,
+            --create-[mega]testdir, --[mega]test:
+
   -s, --symbolic, --symlink Make symbolic links instead of copying files.
       --local-symlink       Make symbolic links instead of copying files, only
                             for files from the local override directory.
 
-Options for --import, --update:
+Options for --import, --add/remove-import, --update:
+
   -S, --more-symlinks       Make symbolic links instead of copying files, and
                             don't replace copyright notices.