Re: characters allowed in --enable-*/--with-*

[Ralf Wildenhues]

[ adding bug-gnulib ]

* Karl Berry wrote on Tue, Aug 03, 2010 at 01:11:47AM CEST:
>     So gnulib could have --enable-c++.
> 
> I guess I missed some discussion on bug-gnulib.  Overall, "cplusplus"
> seems like it would have been simpler/more customary.  (That ++ causes
> endless hassle everywhere.)

So, do you think it would be better for GNU overall if we reverted that
decision in Autoconf?

The switch hasn't been so long ago, so presumably reverting now is not
as costly as doing it later.

>     Easier to remember option names?  Dunno.
> 
> I'd say the opposite: allowing lots of "random" characters makes it
> harder for users to know/guess/remember option names.  Aside from
> technical issues with quoting and the like.  Overall, my thought would
> be to allow as few characters as possible.  [-_A-Za-z0-9] and + if we
> have to seems perfectly sufficient to me.
> 
> Personally I think - should be used in preference to _ wherever possible
> in option names, for the reason above: easier for users to remember if
> there are fewer variances.

That's fine with me; but however the decision in the end, we need to
document it so (non-Autoconf) configure authors and macro authors know.

Thanks,
Ralf