AC_CONFIG_SUBDIRS and subdirs

[Ralf Corsepius]

Hi,

I think, we've had this issue, before ;):

autoconf-cvs unconditionally appends AC_CONFIG_SUBDIRS to subdirs.

This prevents using @subdirs@ rsp. ${subdirs} to denote subdirectories
which only are optionally/conditionally present and contradicts to the
handling of config-subdirs at other places in autoconf.

Eg. if using a Makefile.am similar to this:
SUBDIRS = src @subdirs@

=> All AC_CONFIG_SUBDIRS have to be present for this Makefile.am to be
functional.

Therefore, I'd recommend to append a subdir to $subdirs in
AC_CONFIG_SUBDIRS only if a subdir can be found inside of the
source-directory (Patch enclosed below).

Alternatively, it should be clearly documented that that
AC_CONFIG_SUBDIRS does not support conditionally present subdirs and
users are supposed to check for presence of directories themselves.
(Which, IMHO, would contradict the intention of current autoconf's
documentation on AC_CONFIG_SUBDIRS).

Ralf

autoconf-rc-20020306-1.diff
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