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[bpt/guile.git] / doc / ref / autoconf.texi

@page
@node Autoconf Support
@chapter Autoconf Support

When Guile is installed, a set of autoconf macros is also installed as
PREFIX/share/aclocal/guile.m4.  This chapter documents the macros provided in
that file.  @xref{Top,The GNU Autoconf Manual,,autoconf}, for more info.

@menu
* Autoconf Background::         Why use autoconf?
* Autoconf Macros::             The GUILE_* macros.
* Using Autoconf Macros::       How to use them, plus examples.
@end menu


@node Autoconf Background
@section Autoconf Background

As explained elsewhere (@pxref{Top,The GNU Autoconf Manual,,autoconf}), any
package needs configuration at build-time.  If your package uses Guile (or
uses a package that in turn uses Guile), you probably need to know what
specific Guile features are available and details about them.

The way to do this is to write feature tests and arrange for their execution
by the @file{configure} script, typically by adding the tests to
@file{configure.ac}, and running @code{autoconf} to create @file{configure}.
Users of your package then run @file{configure} in the normal way.

Macros are a way to make common feature tests easy to express.  Autoconf
provides a wide range macros (@pxref{Existing Tests,,,autoconf}), and Guile
installation provides Guile-specific tests in the areas of: program detection,
compilation flags reporting, and Scheme module checks.


@node Autoconf Macros
@section Autoconf Macros

The macro names all begin with "GUILE_".

@c see Makefile.am
@include autoconf-macros.texi


@node Using Autoconf Macros
@section Using Autoconf Macros

Using the autoconf macros is straightforward: Add the macro "calls" (actually
instantiations) to @file{configure.ac}, run @code{aclocal}, and finally,
run @code{autoconf}.  If your system doesn't have guile.m4 installed, place
the desired macro definitions (@code{AC_DEFUN} forms) in @file{acinclude.m4},
and @code{aclocal} will do the right thing.

Some of the macros can be used inside normal shell constructs: @code{if foo ;
then GUILE_BAZ ; fi}, but this is not guaranteed.  It's probably a good idea
to instantiate macros at top-level.

We now include two examples, one simple and one complicated.

The first example is for a package that uses libguile, and thus needs to know
how to compile and link against it.  So we use @code{GUILE_FLAGS} to set the
vars @code{GUILE_CFLAGS} and @code{GUILE_LDFLAGS}, which are automatically
substituted in the Makefile.

@example
In configure.ac:

  GUILE_FLAGS

In Makefile.in:

  GUILE_CFLAGS  = @@GUILE_CFLAGS@@
  GUILE_LDFLAGS = @@GUILE_LDFLAGS@@

  myprog.o: myprog.c
          $(CC) -o $@ $(GUILE_CFLAGS) $<
  myprog: myprog.o
          $(CC) -o $@ $< $(GUILE_LDFLAGS)
@end example

The second example is for a package of Guile Scheme modules that uses an
external program and other Guile Scheme modules (some might call this a "pure
scheme" package).  So we use the @code{GUILE_SITE_DIR} macro, a regular
@code{AC_PATH_PROG} macro, and the @code{GUILE_MODULE_AVAILABLE} macro.

@example
In configure.ac:

  GUILE_SITE_DIR

  probably_wont_work=""

  # pgtype pgtable
  GUILE_MODULE_AVAILABLE(have_guile_pg, (database postgres))
  test $have_guile_pg = no &&
      probably_wont_work="(my pgtype) (my pgtable) $probably_wont_work"

  # gpgutils
  AC_PATH_PROG(GNUPG,gpg)
  test x"$GNUPG" = x &&
      probably_wont_work="(my gpgutils) $probably_wont_work"

  if test ! "$probably_wont_work" = "" ; then
      p="         ***"
      echo
      echo "$p"
      echo "$p NOTE:"
      echo "$p The following modules probably won't work:"
      echo "$p   $probably_wont_work"
      echo "$p They can be installed anyway, and will work if their"
      echo "$p dependencies are installed later.  Please see README."
      echo "$p"
      echo
  fi

In Makefile.in:

  instdir = @@GUILE_SITE@@/my

  install:
        $(INSTALL) my/*.scm $(instdir)
@end example

@c autoconf.texi ends here