Re: How do I avoid a specific variable in the Makefile?

[Ralf Wildenhues]

[ let's drop the autoconf list ]

Hi Stepan,

* Stepan Kasal wrote on Thu, Mar 15, 2007 at 06:21:23PM CET:
> On Thu, Mar 15, 2007 at 01:29:30PM +0100, Ralf Wildenhues wrote:
> > [ Cc:ing bug-automake for an documentation request ]
> > 
> > * Jules Colding wrote on Thu, Mar 15, 2007 at 12:10:54PM CET:
> > [...]
> > > This unfortunately has a side effect as it creates a target in my
> > > Makefile named "BuildRequires:" requiring the target "package_2".
> 
> this is a bug in Automake.

That may well be, but...

> >   _AM_SUBST_NOTMAKE([RPM_BUILDREQUIRES])
> > 
> > I think Automake should publicize this interface; more precisely, I
> > think Automake should implement an alias AM_SUBST_NOTMAKE which does the
> > same thing, document it, and keep the underscored name as undocumented
> > alias.
> 
> I do not think it is justified to publish this macro.
> 
> I do not see any use for the macro, besides working around this
> Automake bug.

... I beg to disagree here.  I may simply not want to have some macro
to be defined in Makefiles, but have its variable substituted elsewhere
(in other config files).  The awkward semantics of macro propagation
alone:
<http://www.gnu.org/software/autoconf/manual/html_node/Macros-and-Submakes.html>
justify this additional liberty for the developer IMO.

What would be your argument for limiting developer's possibilities?
Allowing the package developer to override Automake's "magic" has
always been a valuable goal.

Cheers,
Ralf