Re: 95-libs-var-am.patch

[Tom Tromey]

>>>>> "Akim" == Akim Demaille <address@hidden> writes:

Akim>   * automake.in (&read_am_file, &file_contents_internal): Don't
Akim>   define macros when `FALSE', to avoid errors on doubly defined
Akim>   variables but under condition `FALSE'.  In order to allow...
Akim>   (&am_install_var): When reading the associated file for the first
Akim>   time, enable `%?FIRST%'.
Akim>   (&handle_libraries): Let libs.am define $(AR) and $(RANLIB).
Akim>   * libs.am: Do it when `%?FIRST%'.

This is ok.

However I wonder if it is really what we want.
This is an ad hoc mechanism in am_install_var.  But we'll also need an
ad hoc mechanism in add_depend2.

Why not introduce a syntax for defining something once?

    *FOO = ...

We would interpret this after all other substitutions are applied
to the line.  That would make it useful for depend2.am.

At some point we should document the syntax of the .am files.  It
doesn't have to be anything formal; just a comment in automake.in.

Tom