Re: document how to override test results

[Ralf Wildenhues]

Hello Bruno,

* Bruno Haible wrote on Tue, Sep 01, 2009 at 10:46:51AM CEST:
> It would be good if the autoconf documentation would state how to override
> the results of autoconf macros (without actually changing the autoconf
> macros and rebuilding the configure file).

I think it would be better if Automake stated plainly:

   Prefer using $(variable) over @address@hidden  That enables the user
   to override the setting of the variable at `make' run time.

I thought the manual already said this, but I can't find it right now.

The rest of your message makes sense to me, but in practice, the user
will prefer the simplest and fastest way to get over a build failure.
It's then a trade-off of how simple you want to make it for the user,
vs. how much worse your maintenance effort will be.

I've put the rest of my thoughts over in the other thread,
<http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.comp.lib.gnulib.bugs/18588/focus=18628>.

Cheers,
Ralf