* System Type:: Specifying the system type
* Sharing Defaults:: Setting site-wide defaults for @code{configure}
* Environment Variables:: Defining environment variables.
-* configure Invocation:: Changing how @code{configure} runs
+* configure Invocation:: Changing how @code{configure} runs
Obsolete Constructs
... && AC_CONFIG_FOOS(foooo)
@end example
+The macro @code{AC_CONFIG_FILES} and @code{AC_CONFIG_HEADERS} use
+specials @var{tag}s: they may have the form @samp{@var{output}} or
+@samp{@var{output}:@var{inputs}}. The file @var{output} is instantiated
+from its templates, @var{inputs} if specified, defaulting to
+@samp{@var{output}.in}.
+
+For instance
+@samp{AC_CONFIG_FILES(Makefile:boiler/top.mk:boiler/bot.mk)} asks for
+the creation of @file{Makefile} which will be the expansion of the
+output variables in the concatenation of @file{boiler/top.mk} and
+@file{boiler/bot.mk}.
+
+The special value @samp{-} might be used to denote the standard output
+when used in @var{output}, or the standard input when used in the
+@var{inputs}. You most probably don't need to use this in
+@file{configure.in}, but it is convenient when using the command line
+interface of @file{./config.status}, see @ref{config.status Invocation},
+for more details.
+
+The @var{inputs} may be absolute or relative filenames, in which case
+they are first looked for in the build tree, and then in the source
+tree.
+
+
@node Configuration Files, Makefile Substitutions, Configuration Actions, Setup
@section Creating Configuration Files
+Be sure to read the previous section, @ref{Configuration Actions}.
@defmac AC_CONFIG_FILES (@var{file}@dots{}, @ovar{cmds}, @ovar{init-cmds})
@maindex CONFIG_FILES
-@c FIXME: The doc does say that the parents are not created (mkdir -p)
-@c Once this `bug' is fixed, remove the limitation.
-This macro creates each file @file{@var{file}} by copying an input file
-(by default named @file{@var{file}.in}), substituting the output
-variable values.
+Make @code{AC_OUTPUT} create each @file{@var{file}} by copying an input
+file (by default @file{@var{file}.in}), substituting the output variable
+values.
@c FIXME: Before we used to have this feature, which was later rejected
@c because it complicates the write of Makefiles:
@c If the file would be unchanged, it is left untouched, to preserve
@c timestamp.
-@xref{Makefile Substitutions}, for more information on using output
-variables. @xref{Setting Output Variables}, for more information on
-creating them. This macro creates the directory that the file is in if
-it doesn't exist (but not the parents of that directory). Usually,
-@file{Makefile}s are created this way, but other files, such as
-@file{.gdbinit}, can be specified as well.
+This macro is one of the instantiating macros, see @ref{Configuration
+Actions}. @xref{Makefile Substitutions}, for more information on using
+output variables. @xref{Setting Output Variables}, for more information
+on creating them. This macro creates the directory that the file is in
+if it doesn't exist. Usually, @file{Makefile}s are created this way,
+but other files, such as @file{.gdbinit}, can be specified as well.
Typical calls to @code{AC_CONFIG_FILES} looks like this:
AC_CONFIG_FILES(Makefile:boiler/top.mk:boiler/bot.mk
lib/Makefile:boiler/lib.mk)
@end example
+
+@noindent
Doing this allows you to keep your file names acceptable to MS-DOS, or
to prepend and/or append boilerplate to the file.
@end defmac
directory.
@defmac AC_CONFIG_HEADERS (@var{header} @dots{}, @ovar{cmds}, @ovar{init-cmds})
-@maindex CONFIG_HEADER
+@maindex CONFIG_HEADERS
@cvindex HAVE_CONFIG_H
-Make @code{AC_OUTPUT} create the file(s) in the whitespace-separated
-list @var{header} containing C preprocessor @code{#define} statements,
-and replace @samp{@@DEFS@@} in generated files with
-@option{-DHAVE_CONFIG_H} instead of the value of @code{DEFS}. The usual
-name for @var{header} is @file{config.h}.
+This macro is one of the instantiating macros, see @ref{Configuration
+Actions}. Make @code{AC_OUTPUT} create the file(s) in the
+whitespace-separated list @var{header} containing C preprocessor
+@code{#define} statements, and replace @samp{@@DEFS@@} in generated
+files with @option{-DHAVE_CONFIG_H} instead of the value of @code{DEFS}.
+The usual name for @var{header} is @file{config.h}.
If @var{header} already exists and its contents are identical to what
@code{AC_OUTPUT} would put in it, it is left alone. Doing this allows
to prepend and/or append boilerplate to the file.
@end defmac
+@xref{Configuration Actions}, for more details on @var{header}.
+
@menu
* Header Templates:: Input for the configuration headers
* autoheader Invocation:: How to create configuration templates
@file{config.status}, and shell commands to initialize any variables
from @code{configure}. Associate the commands to the @var{tag}. Since
typically the @var{cmds} create a file, @var{tag} should naturally be
-the name of that file.
+the name of that file. This macro is one of the instantiating macros,
+see @ref{Configuration Actions}.
Here is an unrealistic example:
@example
the corresponding link name @var{dest}. Makes a symbolic link if
possible, otherwise a hard link. The @var{dest} and @var{source} names
should be relative to the top level source or build directory. This
-macro may be called multiple times.
+macro is one of the instantiating macros, see @ref{Configuration
+Actions}.
For example, this call:
* System Type:: Specifying the system type
* Sharing Defaults:: Setting site-wide defaults for @code{configure}
* Environment Variables:: Defining environment variables.
-* configure Invocation:: Changing how @code{configure} runs
+* configure Invocation:: Changing how @code{configure} runs
@end menu
@include install.texi
It configures the @var{files}, if none are specified, all the templates
are instantiated. The files must be specified without their
dependencies, as in
+
@example
./config.status foobar
@end example
@item --file=@var{file}[:@var{template}]
Require that @var{file} be instantiated as if
-@samp{AC_CONFIG_FILES(@var{file}:@var{template})} was used.
+@samp{AC_CONFIG_FILES(@var{file}:@var{template})} was used. Both
+@var{file} and @var{template} may be @samp{-} in which case the standard
+output and/or standard input is used. If a @var{template} filename is
+relative, it is first looked for in the build tree, and then in the
+source tree. @xref{Configuration Actions}, for more details.
This option and the following provide one way for separately distributed
packages to share the values computed by @code{configure}. Doing so can
package.
@item --header=@var{file}[:@var{template}]
-Require that @var{file} be instantiated as if
-@samp{AC_CONFIG_HEADERS(@var{file}:@var{template})} was used.
+Same as @option{--file} above, but with @samp{AC_CONFIG_HEADERS}.
@item --recheck
Ask @file{config.status} to update itself and exit (no instantiation).
projects / thirdparty / autoconf.git / commitdiff
