FYI: 03-todo.patch

[Akim Demaille]

Index: TODO
--- TODO Wed, 01 Aug 2001 23:34:52 +0200 akim (ace/29_TODO 1.66 644)
+++ TODO Thu, 02 Aug 2001 01:24:43 +0200 akim (ace/29_TODO 1.66 644)
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@
 ** AC_CHECK_TOOL...
 Write a test that checks that it honors the values set by the user.
 
-* Autoconf 2.52 or later
+
+* Later
 
 ** Languages
 Integrate other Fortrans etc.
@@ -31,78 +32,17 @@
 AC_LANG_FUNC_LINK_TRY (which names seem to be inappropriate).
 Wouldn't one be enough?
 
-** autom4te
-Eve it out of autoconf.  Install support for Autotest, M4sugar, and
-M4sh.  Give a means to trace at the same time as we produce the
-output.  autoconf shall use this feature to make autoheader obsolete,
-and to produce some kind of input file for automake which should no
-longer *ever* try to parse Autoconf files.
-
 ** Autotest
 Document it.
 
 ** Document AC_COMPILE_IFELSE, AC_LANG_PROGRAM etc.
 And make AC_TRY_COMPILE etc. obsolete.
 
-** Autoscan macros
-Can be introduced even before specializing macros.  It just means that
-specializing macros will call them.  OTOH, this doubles our work,
-since specializing macros will save us from additional typing.  But
-the more powerful autoscan is, the better...
-
 ** Libtool
 Define once for all the hooks they need, any redefinition of
 AC_PROG_CC etc. is way too dangerous and too limiting.  The GCC team
 certainly has requirements too.
 
-** Pentateuch
-Heck, there is nothing after `Deuteronomy'!  We're stuck, but we
-_must_ update the `history' section.  Can't go to `New testament', we
-might hurt feelings?  In addition, it means that the Messiah has come,
-which might be slightly presumptuous :).  Still, someone fluent in
-English should write it.
-
-** AC_FUNC_GETLOADAVG
-We must find a solution for this macro which needs to find
-`getloadavg.c'.
-
-** AC_PATH_X
-Hi Robert,
-
-> Hi, autoconf people.  While packaging plotutils-2.2 (just released),
-> I noticed what looks like a small error in the autoconf-2.13 texinfo
-> documentation, the entry for AC_PATH_XTRA, in particular.
-
-> The documentation says that AC_PATH_XTRA
->      ... adds the C compiler flags that X needs to output variable
->      `X_CFLAGS', and the X linker flags to `X_LIBS'.  If X is not
->      available, adds `-DX_DISPLAY_MISSING' to `X_CFLAGS'.
-
-> It doesn't seem to add -DX_DISPLAY_MISSING to X_CFLAGS.  X_DISPLAY_MISSING
-> ends up defined in config.h, instead.
-
-That's only because you're no doubt using AC_CONFIG_HEADER(..) to send
-your defines to a config.h-style file.  If you were to not use
-AC_CONFIG_HEADER and X was not available, then you would see
--DX_DISPLAY_MISSING being added to @DEFS@ as your output files were being
-generated.
-
-But you are right--the documentation is not clear about this.  I'll change
-it.
-
-> In fact it looks to me as if right now, X_CFLAGS is used only for
-> specifying directories where X include files are stored, via the `-I' option.
-> Maybe it should really be called X_CPPFLAGS?
-
-Well, perhaps.  If you feel strongly about this, feel free to submit a
-change-request.  There is a hyperlink to the bug tracking database from
-http://sourceware.cygnus.com/autoconf/.  With the way it reads in the
-manual right now, it's designed to allow the user to set additional flags
-in the environment prior to running configure--and these don't need to be
-limited to just -I flags.  Nevertheless, I can see a few clean ways to
-improve this.
-
-
 ** AC_SEARCH_LIBS
 From: Tom Tromey <address@hidden>
 Subject: AC_SEARCH_LIBS
@@ -146,18 +86,17 @@
 
 ** AC_PROG_CC_STDC
 Should be: AC_PROG_CC_ISO?  Or even more specific for the ISO version?
-Should include more tests (e.g., AC_C_CONST etc.)?
-
-** AC_SYS_INTERPRETER
-Defines $interpval.  This is not a standard name.  Do we want to keep
-this?  Clarify our policy on those names.
+Should include more tests (e.g., AC_C_CONST etc.)?  See Peter for very
+useful comments on the technology.  Should we make this a new
+language?  AC_LANG(ISO C).  It would be great to introduce
+AC_LANG_COMPILER in this release too.
 
 ** autoupdate
 We should probably install the files which do not depend upon the
 user, just the Autoconf library files.  But conversely autoupdate must
 be opened to user macros, i.e., for instance libtool itself must be
 able to say that AM_PROG_LIBTOOL is now AC_PROG_LIBTOOL, and have
-autoupdate do its job on old configure.in.
+autoupdate do its job on old configure.ac.
 
 ** AC_LIBOBJ_DECL
 Decide with the Automake team whether this macro should list only `.c'
@@ -165,14 +104,69 @@
 AC_FUNC_GNU_GETOPT macro could provide the three files, likewise for
 the macro which allows to choose a regex engine.
 
+
+* Even later
+
+** Autoscan macros
+Can be introduced even before specializing macros.  It just means that
+specializing macros will call them.  OTOH, this doubles our work,
+since specializing macros will save us from additional typing.  But
+the more powerful autoscan is, the better...
+
+** Pentateuch
+Heck, there is nothing after `Deuteronomy'!  We're stuck, but we
+_must_ update the `history' section.  Can't go to `New testament', we
+might hurt feelings?  In addition, it means that the Messiah has come,
+which might be slightly presumptuous :).  Still, someone fluent in
+English should write it.
+
+** AC_FUNC_GETLOADAVG
+We must find a solution for this macro which needs to find
+`getloadavg.c'.
+
+** AC_PATH_X
+Hi Robert,
+
+> Hi, autoconf people.  While packaging plotutils-2.2 (just released),
+> I noticed what looks like a small error in the autoconf-2.13 texinfo
+> documentation, the entry for AC_PATH_XTRA, in particular.
+
+> The documentation says that AC_PATH_XTRA
+>      ... adds the C compiler flags that X needs to output variable
+>      `X_CFLAGS', and the X linker flags to `X_LIBS'.  If X is not
+>      available, adds `-DX_DISPLAY_MISSING' to `X_CFLAGS'.
+
+> It doesn't seem to add -DX_DISPLAY_MISSING to X_CFLAGS.  X_DISPLAY_MISSING
+> ends up defined in config.h, instead.
+
+That's only because you're no doubt using AC_CONFIG_HEADER(..) to send
+your defines to a config.h-style file.  If you were to not use
+AC_CONFIG_HEADER and X was not available, then you would see
+-DX_DISPLAY_MISSING being added to @DEFS@ as your output files were being
+generated.
+
+But you are right--the documentation is not clear about this.  I'll change
+it.
+
+> In fact it looks to me as if right now, X_CFLAGS is used only for
+> specifying directories where X include files are stored, via the `-I' option.
+> Maybe it should really be called X_CPPFLAGS?
+
+Well, perhaps.  If you feel strongly about this, feel free to submit a
+change-request.  There is a hyperlink to the bug tracking database from
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/autoconf/.  With the way it reads in the
+manual right now, it's designed to allow the user to set additional flags
+in the environment prior to running configure--and these don't need to be
+limited to just -I flags.  Nevertheless, I can see a few clean ways to
+improve this.
+
+** AC_SYS_INTERPRETER
+Defines $interpval.  This is not a standard name.  Do we want to keep
+this?  Clarify our policy on those names.
+
 ** Allow --recursive to config.status
 So that --recheck does not pass --no-recursive to configure.
 
-** AC_PROG_CC_STDC
-Well, back onto this one :( See Peter for very useful comments on the
-technology.  Should we make this a new language?  AC_LANG(ISO C).  It
-would be great to introduce AC_LANG_COMPILER in this release too.
-
 * autoconf.texi
 Move the specific macro documentation blocks into the source files,
 and use a doc-block extraction/merge technique to get docuemntation
@@ -193,9 +187,6 @@
 instance, there is still AM_PROG_LIBTOOL.  Anyway, since autoupdate
 takes care of them, it is no longer the role of Automake to handle
 this.  Most should be removed.
-
-** AC_EXEXT, AC_OBJEXT
-Support should be enabled by default.
 
 ** Macros now swallowed by Autoconf.
 error.m4, obstack.m4, ptrdiff.m4, strtod.m4, termios.m4, winsz.m4.