Re: FYI: optional features and AC_ARG_WITH

[Stepan Kasal]

Hello,

On Mon, Apr 18, 2005 at 06:44:31PM -0700, Paul Eggert wrote:
> Alexandre Duret-Lutz <address@hidden> writes:
> 
> > I remember that using @<:@ in AS_HELP_STRING was wrong because
> > that macros count the number of characters in its arguments to
> > reformat the string; so @<:@ is counted as 4 characters but
> > output as one.
> >
> > Did this ever change?
> 
> If memory serves, Noah Misch fixed that in CVS Autoconf.

I'm afraid the issue is not fixed yet.  I see no such code in
AS_HELP_STRING not m4_text_wrap, and I recently experienced problems
with quadrigraphs in $1 of AS_HELP_STRING.

(But CVS contains macro m4_qlen, which counts the number of characters
with respect to quadrigraphs.)

> > In fact I think there is no point in writing things like
> > "default=disabled" or "default=enabled".  Simply showing the
> > option form (--without or --with) that is not the default looks
> > clear enough to me.

Yes, but it's not clear what should be used if the default is "auto".
gnumeric, for example, uses --{with,without}-foo in this situation.

The attached patch contains a fix to this issue; moreover, it adds
FIXMEs to the comments above AS_HELP_STRING and m4_text_wrap.
(The patch passed "make check".)

OK to commit?

Have a nice day,
        Stepan

autoconf-20050419-fix-quadri.patch
Description: Text document