[sr #108879] Add m4_forbid_pattern for autoconf-archive macros

[Philip Withnall]

Follow-up Comment #2, sr #108879 (project autoconf):

> I'm reluctant to have autoconf exclude a namespace that it is not in charge
of itself. After all, autoconf documents how to warn about the lack of
pkg-config, but does not exclude it itself (so I'm okay with expanding the
documentation in autoconf to also mention how to warn about lack of Autoconf
Archives).

I see your point — this would be a layering violation. I can’t see many
alternatives though.

> I'd rather see Autoconf Archives do a better job of explaining that any
configure.ac that wants to take advantage of an AX_ macro should also add the
appropriate m4_pattern_forbid(), or possibly even automate it whenever you use
an Archive macro. Autoconf Archives could use gnulib as an example (it
installs its own pattern ignore as part of running gnulib-tool). 

The problem is that makes people’s configure.ac files horrendous — it
turns a single macro invocation into two. Some kind of autoconf-archive-tool
like gnulib-tool would make this easier to apply, but the m4_pattern_*
invocations would still be cluttering up configure.ac.

I guess my argument hinges on the size of autoconf-archive — I would say
it’s popular enough now to have a solid claim to the AX_ namespace, to the
extent that it’s worth more than a mention in the autoconf documentation.
However, I understand you might disagree.

    _______________________________________________________

Reply to this item at:

  <http://savannah.gnu.org/support/?108879>

_______________________________________________
  Message sent via/by Savannah
  http://savannah.gnu.org/