Improve description of the various *LINK variables.

* doc/automake.texi (Program and Library Variables): _LINK also
receives libraries to link against.  _LINK may be generated.
(Program Variables): Document reasons when per-target _LINK is
used instead of LINK.
(How the Linker is Chosen): Document how a per-target _LINK
variable and per-target link flags override linker selection.
* THANKS: Update.
Report by Dave Korn against gcc/libstdc++-v3.

Signed-off-by: Ralf Wildenhues <Ralf.Wildenhues@gmx.de>

diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 2d3a261a4416ef31325fca182d715d74afb920af..a00523bd1abaf7b0867612c990bd3c0f087e6cee 100644 (file)
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,5 +1,15 @@
 2009-10-11  Ralf Wildenhues  <Ralf.Wildenhues@gmx.de>
 
+       Improve description of the various *LINK variables.
+       * doc/automake.texi (Program and Library Variables): _LINK also
+       receives libraries to link against.  _LINK may be generated.
+       (Program Variables): Document reasons when per-target _LINK is
+       used instead of LINK.
+       (How the Linker is Chosen): Document how a per-target _LINK
+       variable and per-target link flags override linker selection.
+       * THANKS: Update.
+       Report by Dave Korn against gcc/libstdc++-v3.
+
        Allow variable override of, rather than by, silent variables.
        When overriding variables, check the VAR_SILENT status of the
        old condition, not the new one: we allow non-silent overrides

diff --git a/THANKS b/THANKS
index 7b8664a23009731b5723608559bc80123aad67b8..5789e95eafa7e065ab26200355f914603db13690 100644 (file)
--- a/THANKS
+++ b/THANKS
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ Daniel Jacobowitz     drow@false.org
 Daniel Kahn Gillmor    dkg@fifthhorseman.net
 Daniel Richard G.      danielg@teragram.com
 Dave Brolley           brolley@redhat.com
+Dave Korn              dave.korn.cygwin@googlemail.com
 Dave Morrison          dave@bnl.gov
 David A. Swierczek     swiercze@mr.med.ge.com
 David Byron            dbyron@dbyron.com

diff --git a/doc/automake.texi b/doc/automake.texi
index f6633d8d84258a59cf79d557ddea422fc1d83b94..fbfe362e773a15c1d93620bbb37d192620451260 100644 (file)
--- a/doc/automake.texi
+++ b/doc/automake.texi
@@ -5612,14 +5612,20 @@ You can override the linker on a per-program basis.  By default the
 linker is chosen according to the languages used by the program.  For
 instance, a program that includes C++ source code would use the C++
 compiler to link.  The @code{_LINK} variable must hold the name of a
-command that can be passed all the @file{.o} file names as arguments.
-Note that the name of the underlying program is @emph{not} passed to
-@code{_LINK}; typically one uses @samp{$@@}:
+command that can be passed all the @file{.o} file names and libraries
+to link against as arguments.  Note that the name of the underlying
+program is @emph{not} passed to @code{_LINK}; typically one uses
+@samp{$@@}:
 
 @example
 maude_LINK = $(CCLD) -magic -o $@@
 @end example
 
+If a @code{_LINK} variable is not supplied, it may still be generated
+and used by Automake due to the use of per-target link flags such as
+@code{_CFLAGS}, @code{_LDFLAGS} or @code{_LIBTOOLFLAGS}, in cases where
+they apply.
+
 @item maude_CCASFLAGS
 @itemx maude_CFLAGS
 @itemx maude_CPPFLAGS
@@ -5981,7 +5987,9 @@ preference to the per-executable (or per-library) @code{_LDFLAGS}.
 This is the command used to actually link a C program.  It already
 includes @samp{-o $@@} and the usual variable references (for instance,
 @code{CFLAGS}); it takes as ``arguments'' the names of the object files
-and libraries to link in.
+and libraries to link in.  This variable is not used when the linker is
+overridden with a per-target @code{_LINK} variable or per-target flags
+cause Automake to define such a @code{_LINK} variable.
 @end vtable
 
 
@@ -6496,6 +6504,10 @@ library written in another language and would like to set the linker
 more appropriately.  @xref{Libtool Convenience Libraries}, for a
 trick with @code{nodist_EXTRA_@dots{}_SOURCES}.
 
+A per-target @code{_LINK} variable will override the above selection.
+Per-target link flags will cause Automake to write a per-target
+@code{_LINK} variable according to the language chosen as above.
+
 
 @node Fortran 9x Support
 @comment  node-name,  next,  previous,  up