Re: questions about AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR

[Paul Eggert]

Stefan Seefeld <address@hidden> writes:

> Yes, please enhance the documentation ! In fact, the documentation
> starts with "In future..." but doesn't talk about what the macro does
> at present. And yes, bailing out in configure's execution if the directory
> isn't present, but then never touch the directory again, isn't contributing
> to clarify anything either. :-)

OK, thanks, I installed this.  (It explains everything that the macro
does at present, because the macro doesn't do anything.  :-)

2006-09-12  Paul Eggert  <address@hidden>

        * doc/autoconf.texi (Input): Clarify role of AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR.
        * lib/autoconf/general.m4 (AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR): Do not check
        for the existence of the directory at configure-time.  That's
        too late, anyway, and possibly the directory isn't part of the
        distribution.  Problem reported by Stefan Seefeld.

--- doc/autoconf.texi   12 Sep 2006 07:01:50 -0000      1.1083
+++ doc/autoconf.texi   12 Sep 2006 18:15:26 -0000
@@ -1901,12 +1901,11 @@ local macros can be found using @code{AC
 
 @defmac AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR (@var{dir})
 @acindex{CONFIG_MACRO_DIR}
-Future versions of @command{autopoint}, @command{libtoolize},
address@hidden and @command{autoreconf} will use directory
address@hidden as the location of additional local Autoconf macros.  Be
-sure to call this macro directly from @file{configure.ac} so that
-tools that install macros for @command{aclocal} can find the
-declaration before @option{--trace} can be called safely.
+Specify @var{dir} as the location of additional local Autoconf macros.
+This macro is intended for use by future versions of commands like
address@hidden that trace macro calls.  It should be called
+directly from @file{configure.ac} so that tools that install macros for
address@hidden can find the macros' declarations.
 @end defmac
 
 
--- lib/autoconf/general.m4     2 Sep 2006 05:37:08 -0000       1.928
+++ lib/autoconf/general.m4     12 Sep 2006 18:15:27 -0000
@@ -1632,9 +1632,7 @@ AC_DEFUN([AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR],
 [case $1 in
   [[\\/]]* | ?:[[\\/]]* ) ac_macro_dir=$1         ;;
   *)                      ac_macro_dir=$srcdir/$1 ;;
-esac
-test -d "$ac_macro_dir" ||
-  AC_MSG_ERROR([cannot find macro directory `$1'])
+esac[]dnl
 ])# AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR