feature request: find the _smallest_ cpp (for run-time)

[Chris Waters]

Hi,

I maintain the ORBit packages for the Debian project.  (ORBit is the
CORBA component of GNOME).  And I have a feature request for
autoconf.  I'm not an autoconf guru, so please bear with me.

Basically, ORBit contains a library for parsing IDL (Interface
Definition Language) files.  These files are passed through cpp.  And
the library is used both by the IDL compiler in ORBit and by various
third-party language bindings such as perl, scheme and python.

The autoconf issue comes up when choosing which cpp to use.
Currently, autoconf seems to have a tropism for "gcc -E".  Which is
fine for a preprocessor used at build-time, but is a bit excessive for
a run-time dependency.  (_Most_ perl scripts don't need all of gcc to
be present.)

So, what I'd like to request is a macro to select the _smallest_,
lightest-weight, fully-featured cpp available.  Something that would
have a tropism for GNU cpp, if available, rather than gcc.  This could
potentially be useful for many other programs that can or must use cpp
at run-time (e.g. fvwm, perl, etc.).

At the moment, I'm patching ORBit's libIDL to call "cpp" directly on
Debian systems, but, obviously, this is not a portable solution.

Any ideas or suggestions?  Is this a completely crazy request?

Please cc replies, as I'm not subscribed.  (Though I do know where the
archives reside.)

cheers
-- 
Chris Waters           |  Pneumonoultra-        osis is too long
address@hidden       |  microscopicsilico-    to fit into a single
or address@hidden |  volcaniconi-          standalone haiku