bug#7873: Automake should support adding to DejaGnu site.exp

[Stefano Lattarini]

Reference:
  <http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/automake-patches/2011-02/msg00000.html>

Hello Rainer and all automakers.

On Tuesday 01 February 2011, Stefano Lattarini wrote:
> On Thursday 20 January 2011, Rainer Orth wrote:
> > Currently, Automake doesn't support adding package-specific content to
> > the site.exp file generated for DejaGnu testsuites.  In GCC alone, three
> > testsuites need that facility and have to override the
> > Automake-generated target wholesale to achieve what they need:
> > 
> > boehm-gc/testsuite/Makefile.am
> > libjava/testsuite/Makefile.am
> > libstdc++-v3/testsuite/Makefile.am
> > 
> > These Makefile.am's carry the following comment:
> > 
> > # We need more things in site.exp, but automake completely controls the
> > # creation of that file; there's no way to append to it without messing up
> > # the dependancy chains.  So we overrule automake.  This rule is exactly
> > # what it would have generated, plus our own additions.
> > 
> > Since in the future it is easily possible that the target/commands
> > generated by Automake deviate from what is currently emitted there,
> > there should be a Automake facility to directly support adding to the
> > generated site.exp.
> > 
> > Thanks.
> >     Rainer
> > 
> 
> What about the attached patch?  It should be applied to a temporary branch
> based off of the commit v1.11-249-g253c2e7 "Extend and improve tests on
> DejaGnu support", and could be merged to either maint or master.
>

-*-*-

  dejagnu: allow the package developer to extend site.exp

  * lib/am/dejagnu.am (site.exp): Depend from the files listed in
  $(EXTRA_DEJAGNU_SITE_CONFIG), if any.  Append their contents to
  the generated site.exp (still preserving user edits).
  * doc/automake.texi (Dejagnu Tests): Update.
  * tests/dejagnu-siteexp-append.test: New test.
  * tests/dejagnu-siteexp-extend.test: Likewise.
  * tests/dejagnu-siteexp-useredit.test: Likewise.
  * tests/Makefile.am (TESTS): Update.

  Suggestion by Rainer Orth.

-*-*-

Ping on this?

Rainer, does this patch really help to solve your problem?  If not,
why?  If yes, do you have enhancements to suggest, or is the patch
good enough already?

Ralf, do you have objections to the patch?

I'll push in 72 hours barring further objections.

Regards,
   Stefano