AC_PREREQ comes first in autoscan

[NightStrike]

Using autoconf 2.63 and autoscan, my automatically generated
configure.scan has AC_PREREQ as the first macro in the file, and
AC_INIT second.  The autoconf manual has this to say about it:

"This macro is the only macro that may be used before AC_INIT, but for
consistency, you are invited not to do so."

If the manual says "please don't do it," why does autoscan do it?


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[Ralf Wildenhues]

Hello,

* NightStrike wrote on Tue, Sep 01, 2009 at 06:19:07PM CEST:
> "This macro is the only macro that may be used before AC_INIT,

This isn't even true.  AC_DEFUN and m4_define, as well as other m4sugar
elements, are widely used before AC_INIT (when you consider that
autoconf parses aclocal.m4 before it starts reading configure.ac).
AU_DEFUN and AU_ALIAS should probably be sanctioned as well.

How about simply
  This macro may be used before AC_INIT.

?  I think elsewhere we state that AC_INIT needs to be the first macro
that produces text in the configure script (which is a better
description of what the text you quoted really wanted to say).

> but for
> consistency, you are invited not to do so."
>
> If the manual says "please don't do it," why does autoscan do it?

I have no idea.  Both code and manual have been like that for more than
seven years ...

Cheers,
Ralf


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[Eric Blake]

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According to Ralf Wildenhues on 9/1/2009 11:38 AM:

> Hello,
>
> * NightStrike wrote on Tue, Sep 01, 2009 at 06:19:07PM CEST:
>> "This macro is the only macro that may be used before AC_INIT,
>
> This isn't even true.  AC_DEFUN and m4_define, as well as other m4sugar
> elements, are widely used before AC_INIT (when you consider that
> autoconf parses aclocal.m4 before it starts reading configure.ac).
> AU_DEFUN and AU_ALIAS should probably be sanctioned as well.
>
> How about simply
>   This macro may be used before AC_INIT.
>
> ?  I think elsewhere we state that AC_INIT needs to be the first macro
> that produces text in the configure script (which is a better
> description of what the text you quoted really wanted to say).

Yes, indeed.  Pushing this (NightStrike, let me know if you'd rather have
a real name instead of a pseudonym in THANKS):

- --
Don't work too hard, make some time for fun as well!

Eric Blake             ebb9@...
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From 0eadc08360f9dd56692186fb5d4233e091388c2d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Eric Blake <ebb9@...>
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2009 06:18:52 -0600
Subject: [PATCH] Improve wording about what goes before AC_INIT.

* doc/autoconf.texi (Initializing configure): Update wording.
(Versioning) <AC_PREREQ>: Remove misleading text, to match
autoupdate's behavior.
* THANKS: Update.
Reported by NightStrike, with input from Ralf Wildenhues.

Signed-off-by: Eric Blake <ebb9@...>
---
 ChangeLog         |    9 +++++++++
 doc/autoconf.texi |   10 ++++++----
 2 files changed, 15 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 1ff51b4..c5be126 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,12 @@
[phone]  Eric Blake  <ebb9@...>
+
+ Improve wording about what goes before AC_INIT.
+ * doc/autoconf.texi (Initializing configure): Update wording.
+ (Versioning) <AC_PREREQ>: Remove misleading text, to match
+ autoupdate's behavior.
+ * THANKS: Update.
+ Reported by NightStrike, with input from Ralf Wildenhues.
+
 2009-09-04  Thomas Jahns  <jahns@...>  (tiny change)

  Fix illegal tab character in Fortran source.
diff --git a/doc/autoconf.texi b/doc/autoconf.texi
index e997962..1d1abfb 100644
--- a/doc/autoconf.texi
+++ b/doc/autoconf.texi
@@ -1754,8 +1754,11 @@ Initializing configure
 @section Initializing @command{configure}

 Every @command{configure} script must call @code{AC_INIT} before doing
-anything else.  The only other required macro is @code{AC_OUTPUT}
-(@pxref{Output}).
+anything else that produces output.  Calls to silent macros, such as
+@code{AC_DEFUN}, may also occur prior to @code{AC_INIT}, although these
+are generally used via @file{aclocal.m4}, since that is implicitly
+included before the start of @file{configure.ac}.  The only other
+required macro is @code{AC_OUTPUT} (@pxref{Output}).

 @anchor{AC_INIT}
 @defmac AC_INIT (@var{package}, @var{version}, @ovar{bug-report}, @
@@ -1854,8 +1857,7 @@ Versioning
 AC_PREREQ([@value{VERSION}])
 @end example

-This macro is the only macro that may be used before @code{AC_INIT}, but
-for consistency, you are invited not to do so.
+This macro may be used before @code{AC_INIT}.
 @end defmac

 @defmac AC_AUTOCONF_VERSION
--
1.6.3.3.334.g916e1


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[NightStrike]

On Fri, Sep 4, 2009 at 8:22 AM, Eric Blake<ebb9@...> wrote:
> Yes, indeed.  Pushing this (NightStrike, let me know if you'd rather have
> a real name instead of a pseudonym in THANKS):

I prefer anonymity :)


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[Ralf Wildenhues]

Hi Eric,

* Eric Blake wrote on Fri, Sep 04, 2009 at 02:22:54PM CEST:
> + Improve wording about what goes before AC_INIT.
> + * doc/autoconf.texi (Initializing configure): Update wording.
> + (Versioning) <AC_PREREQ>: Remove misleading text, to match
> + autoupdate's behavior.

Thanks, and sorry for pushing back all my pending autotools stuff.
s/autoupdate/autoscan/  btw.

Cheers,
Ralf


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[Eric Blake]

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According to Ralf Wildenhues on 9/4/2009 11:40 AM:

> Hi Eric,
>
> * Eric Blake wrote on Fri, Sep 04, 2009 at 02:22:54PM CEST:
>> + Improve wording about what goes before AC_INIT.
>> + * doc/autoconf.texi (Initializing configure): Update wording.
>> + (Versioning) <AC_PREREQ>: Remove misleading text, to match
>> + autoupdate's behavior.
>
> Thanks, and sorry for pushing back all my pending autotools stuff.
> s/autoupdate/autoscan/  btw.

I've now tweaked that changelog entry (I guess a 2-month backlog in my
inbox says something about me, but exactly what, I'm not sure).

- --
Don't work too hard, make some time for fun as well!

Eric Blake             ebb9@...
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