implicitly specify compiler flags based on library dependencies

[Daniel Neuberger]

Is there any way to make a dependent library implicitly use any
compiler flags used by a library on which it depends?  I'm running
into two problems that this would solve.

The first is illustrated by these Makefile.amS:

# libfoo
AM_CPPFLAGS = -I/some/include_path
lib_LTLIBRARIES = libfoo.la
libfoo_la_SOURCES = foo.cpp
libegfconfig_la_LIBADD = -lxml2

# libbar
AM_CPPFLAGS = -I/some/include_path # I want this to happen implicitly
lib_LTLIBRARIES = libbar.la
libbar_la_SOURCES = bar.cpp
libbar_la_LIBADD = $(top_builddir)/some/path/libfoo.la

The second file has to specify the additional include path because
bar.cpp includes foo.hpp which includes something from
/some/include_path.  I would like this to happen implicitly based on
the fact that libbar depends on libfoo.

I also have a similar problem with the -mcx16 compiler option.  I
currently have to specify it manually for all dependent libraries, but
would like the flag to be specified implicitly.

Thanks for any help.

- Daniel