Re: converting to subdir-objects

[Bert Wesarg]

On Sun, Mar 8, 2015 at 7:33 PM, Bob Friesenhahn
<address@hidden> wrote:
> On Sun, 8 Mar 2015, Bert Wesarg wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> So if A/Makefile.am contains:
>>>>
>>>> foo_SRCS = ... $(srcdir)/../foo/bar.c
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> As far as I am aware, it is wise/required that source paths be
>>> subordinate
>>> to the Makefile.am location (no .. bits).
>>
>>
>> If that would really be a requirement now or with subdir-objects, I
>> would say its a regression.
>
>
> I checked the current Automake manual and am not able to find any text which
> says that a subdirectory needs to be a subdirectory of where the Makefile
> resides.  What is a subdirectory anyway?  The generated Makefile would
> include per-source-file target specifications outside of the directory where
> the Makefile resides.
>
> Perhaps the ability to use this successfully depends on the implementation
> of the VPATH and target resolution support in the make program (and possibly
> make program version) that your project is specifically targeting.
>
> I can not imagine 'make dist' or 'make distcheck' working properly if source
> files are not subordinate to the directory containing Makefile. How is 'tar'
> supposed to work?

I think we must distinguish between a toplevel-Makefile.am and
'sub'-Makefile.am. 'sub' may be a recusive Makefile.am in the same
'configure.ac' project, or in a sub-'configure.ac' project. And
referencing source files outside of a sub-Makefile.am's tree but
inside a the toplevel-Makefile.am's tree should than also let 'make
dist' work, shouldn't it?

>
> Harlan's posting here was due to Automake not working as he expected for
> files which are not in a subdirectory so maybe it does not work.

Harlan, is your A/Makefile.am a sub-Makefile.am from a
toplevel-Makefile.am, and thus all source files subordinate from this
toplevel-Makefile.am?