Re: [Bug-gnulib] proposed gettext.m4 patch for inttypes.h (merge from coreutils)

[Jim Meyering]

Paul Eggert <address@hidden> wrote:

> Bruno Haible <address@hidden> writes:
>
>> What was the actual problem that this AC_REQUIRE([gt_HEADER_INTTYPES_H])
>> call was causing?
>
> Jim knows better than I, since he removed that call.  I tried to
> reproduce his thought processes by adding that call to my merged copy.
> I got this diagnostic:
>
> aclocal: macro `gt_HEADER_INTTYPES_H' required but not defined
>
> Copying gnulib/m4/inttypes.m4 fixed this.  However, that's a minor
> maintenance hassle, as inttypes.m4 is not needed for coreutils.
> inttypes.m4 is needed only for applications that use AM_INTL_SUBDIR,
> which are a dying breed these days.  Also, inttypes.m4 will go away
> once gettext.m4 assumes Autoconf 2.51 or better.  Possibly Jim didn't
> want the hassle of adding inttypes.m4 now just to remove it later.

Right.  It would have been a step backwards -- or at least sideways :-)

> One workaround is to define an empty gt_HEADER_INTTYPES_H to pacify
> Automake.  Maybe Jim would prefer that to including inttypes.m4?

I do like that.

> Or, if you like that sort of idea, perhaps we could add a
> gettext-external module, which assumes Autoconf 2.54 and assumes
> AM_GNU_GETTEXT([external]), and which defines dummies for
> gt_HEADER_INTTYPES_H etc.  A bit of a hack, but it'd make the overall
> machinery smaller for the typical case these days.

That'd be fine, too.