Autoconf 2.53a is released

[Akim Demaille]

Some bugs were found in 2.53, hence 2.54 will be released shortly.  In
addition, as Darwin is now more popular, addressing its portability
issues has become a requirement for Autoconf.

This prerelease reflects faithfully the next release.  Please, try it
exhaustively, so that we can soon release a good Autoconf 2.54.
Trying Autoconf also includes *using* 2.53a to make a beta of your
package, and have this beta tested.

Thanks!

  ftp://alpha.gnu.org/gnu/autoconf/autoconf-2.53a.tar.gz   (992 kB)
  ftp://alpha.gnu.org/gnu/autoconf/autoconf-2.53a.tar.bz2  (756 kB)

And here are xdelta-style diffs

  ftp://alpha.gnu.org/gnu/autoconf/autoconf-2.53-2.53a.xdelta   (37 kB)

Here are the MD5 and SHA1 signatures for the compressed tar files:

7a6809e764d44b2adb53400b12f73cd6  autoconf-2.53a.tar.gz
5545dca21a11cb21e69c86028e6cddbc  autoconf-2.53a.tar.bz2
12c06b86d78615a0cd64d4bd24b1337c9fa67874  autoconf-2.53a.tar.gz
41c0782c4ebcae389f9d6c4959010fefc455553a  autoconf-2.53a.tar.bz2

NEWS:

** Executables

- autoreconf is adjusted to GNU Gettext 0.11.

** Macros

- AC_PROG_CC_STDC is integrated into AC_PROG_CC.

** Bug fixes

- Spurious complaints from `m4_bmatch' about invalid regular
  expressions are suppressed.

- Empty top_builddirs are properly handled.

- AC_PATH_PROG
  Now colon in the optional path arguments are properly handled.

** Improved Zsh portability
  Both Autoconf the package, and the scripts it produces, should run
  more reliably with Zsh.  Bear in mind it is the default Bourne shell
  on Darwin.

** Documentation

- Limitations of Make
  More of them.

ChangeLog entries:

**********************************************************************
ChangeLog       22 Apr 2002 11:15:35 -0000      1.1913
**********************************************************************
2002-04-22  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        Version 2.53a.

2002-04-22  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * tests/m4sh.at (LINENO): Fix the Zsh skip pattern.

2002-04-22  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * doc/autoconf.texi (Pretty Help Strings): Remove a spurious
        comma.
        Reported by Gregory Giannoni.

2002-04-22  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * tests/m4sh.at (LINENO): Skip the test if LINENO cannot be unset.
        Fixes false failures on Darwin.

2002-04-21  Paul Eggert  <address@hidden>

        * TODO, bin/autoupdate.in, doc/autoconf.texi,
        lib/autoconf/general.m4, lib/autoconf/libs.m4,
        lib/autoconf/status.m4, lib/m4sugar/m4sugar.m4, tests/m4sh.at,
        tests/tools.at: Minor spelling and grammar fixes.

2002-04-20  Paul Eggert  <address@hidden>

        * doc/autoconf.texi (Shell Substitutions): Fix typos in yesterday's
        ZSH_VERSION fixes.  Bug reported by Raja R Harinath.
        * lib/autotest/general.m4 (AT_INIT): Likewise.
        * tests/atgeneral.m4 (AT_INIT): Likewise.

2002-04-19  Paul Eggert  <address@hidden>

        * NEWS, TODO, bin/autom4te.in, bin/autoreconf.in, bin/autoupdate.in,
        doc/autoconf.texi, lib/freeze.mk, lib/Autom4te/Struct.pm,
        lib/autoconf/autoheader.m4, lib/autoconf/c.m4,
        lib/autoconf/functions.m4, lib/autoconf/general.m4,
        lib/autoconf/lang.m4, lib/autoconf/libs.m4, lib/autoscan/identifiers,
        lib/autotest/general.m4, lib/m4sugar/m4sh.m4, tests/atgeneral.m4,
        tests/atspecific.m4, tests/semantics.at, tests/torture.at:
        Minor spelling and grammar fixes.

        * doc/autoconf.texi: Follow the outline suggested in the GNU
        Sample Texts sections of the Texinfo 4.2 manual.  Most
        importantly, this makes sure that the copyright notices appear in
        all output formats.  You probably need Texinfo 4.2 to generate
        the manual now.

        Fix some bugs when using "$@" when there might be zero positional
        arguments in cases where this matters.

        * bin/autoconf.as: Rewrite so that the problem does not come up.
        * lib/autoconf/programs.m4 (AC_CHECK_PROG): Likewise.
        * lib/autoconf/status.m4 (AC_OUTPUT): Likewise.
        * lib/autotest/general.m4 (AT_INIT): Likewise.

        * bin/autoheader.in: Use 'case' statement to work around problem.
        * bin/auto4mte.in: Likewise.
        * bin/autoreconf.in: Likewise.
        * bin/autoscan.in: Likewise.
        * bin/autoupdate.in: Likewise.
        * bin/ifnames.in: Likewise.

        * doc/autoconf.texi (Shell Substitutions): Document the problem.

        * lib/autotest/general.m4 (AT_INIT):
        Use Zsh alias to work around problem.
        * tests/atgeneral.m4 (AT_INIT): Likewise.

        * tests/c.at: We can't have zero arguments, so remove workaround
        that is not portable to Zsh.

2002-04-19  Alexandre Duret-Lutz  <address@hidden>

        * bin/autoupdate.in (handle_autoconf_macros): Honor AU_DEFUNs
        from aclocal.m4 too.

2002-04-12  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * tests/wrappl.as: New, M4sh precursor of wrappl.in.

2002-04-10  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * lib/m4sugar/m4sh.m4 (AS_SHELL_SANITIZE): Install the Zsh
        workaround for ${1+"$@"}.
        * doc/autoconf.texi (Shell Substitutions): Explain it.
        From Oliver Kiddle and Peter Stephenson.

        Have M4sh perform minimal shell sanitizing.

        * lib/m4sugar/m4sh.at (AS_SHELL_SANITIZE): Split the `_AS_PREPARE_*'
        part into...
        (_AS_PREPARE): this new macro.
        (AS_PREPARE): New.
        (AS_INIT): Invoke AS_SHELL_SANITIZE.
        * tests/m4sh.at (AT_DATA_LINENO): Use _AS_PREPARE.

        Adjust Autoconf and Autotest.

        * lib/autoconf/general.m4 (_AC_INIT_DEFAULTS): Don't invoke
        AS_SHELL_SANITIZE, AS_INIT did it, but invoke AS_PREPARE.
        * lib/autotest/general.m4 (AT_INIT): Likewise.
        * lib/autoconf/status.m4 (_AC_OUTPUT_CONFIG_STATUS):
        Invoke _AS_PREPARE (not AS_PREPARE) in addition to
        AS_SHELL_SANITIZE.

        Use this M4sh to generate Autoconf's shell scripts.

        * tests/wrapsh.as: New, precursor of wrapsh.in.
        * tests/Makefile.am: Include lib/freeze.mk to get the dependencies
        on Autotest and M4sh.
        ($(TESTSUITE)): Use $(autotest_m4f_dependencies).
        (wrapsh.in): New target.
        * bin/autoconf.as: New, precursor of autoconf.in.
        (autoconf.in): New target.

2002-04-09  Alexandre Duret-Lutz  <address@hidden>

        * doc/autoconf.texi (Limitations of Make): Mention the issue
        with indented comments in rules.

2002-04-09  Andreas Schwab  <address@hidden>

        * lib/autoconf/status.m4 (_AC_SRCPATHS): Handle empty
        ac_top_builddir when setting ac_abs_top_builddir.

2002-04-06  Kevin Ryde  <address@hidden>

        * doc/autoconf.texi (Systemology): Add link to Unix V7 online docs.
        (Portable Shell): Cross reference to Systemology.

2002-04-05  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * bin/autoreconf.in (autoreconf): Be sure to accumulate the
        directories when descending in a SUBDIRS.
        Reported by Ezra Peisach.

2002-04-04  Andreas Schwab  <address@hidden>

        * lib/m4sugar/m4sh.m4 (_AS_PATH_WALK): Only simplify if path
        contains no literal separators.

2002-04-03  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * lib/autoconf/status.m4 (_AC_CONFIG_FILE, _AC_CONFIG_HEADER)
        (_AC_CONFIG_COMMAND, _AC_CONFIG_LINK): New.
        Use dnl, not the KILL diversion.
        Extracted from...
        (AC_CONFIG_FILES, AC_CONFIG_HEADERS, AC_CONFIG_COMMANDS)
        (AC_CONFIG_LINKS): here.
        Adjust.
        Don't use the KILL diversion, as it kills spurious output, which
        results in failures being hidden.
        Use m4_defn where appropriate.
        (AC_CONFIG_IF_MEMBER): Kill the real bug: a spurious parenthesis
        after the second argument.
        Use m4_defn.
        * lib/autom4te.in (Autoconf, Autotest, M4sh): Don't pass --warning
        syntax, as it is provided by M4sugar.
        * tests/torture.at (Multiple AC_CONFIG_FILES): New.

2002-04-03  Andreas Schwab  <address@hidden>

        * lib/m4sugar/m4sugar.m4 (m4_bmatch): Make sure m4_bregexp is not
        expanded if $# <= 2.

        * bin/autoreconf.in (autoreconf): Run automake after rerunning
        aclocal.

2002-04-03  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * lib/autoconf/lang.m4 (_AC_COMPILER_OBJEXT_REJECT)
        (_AC_COMPILER_EXEEXT_REJECT): New.
        Also recognize *.bb and *.bbg as compilation byproducts.
        (_AC_COMPILER_EXEEXT_DEFAULT, _AC_COMPILER_EXEEXT_O)
        (_AC_COMPILER_OBJEXT): Use them.
        Fixes Debian #138666.

2002-04-02  Peter Eisentraut  <address@hidden>

        Integrate AC_PROG_CC_STDC into AC_PROG_CC.

        * lib/autoconf/c.m4 (AC_PROG_CC_STDC): Rename to _AC_PROG_CC_STDC.
        AU_DEFUN old name.  Use _AC_COMPILE_IFELSE.
        (AC_PROG_CC): Call _AC_PROG_CC_STDC.
        (AC_C_INLINE): Do not require AC_PROG_CC_STDC.
        (AC_C_CONST): Same.
        (AC_C_INLINE): Same.
        (AC_C_PROTOTYPES): Same.  Require AC_PROG_CC instead.
        * doc/autoconf.texi, NEWS: Document.
        * tests/mktests.sh (au_exclude_list): Add AC_PROG_CC_STDC and
        AC_C_CROSS.

2002-04-02  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * lib/m4sugar/m4sh.m4 (AS_SHELL_SANITIZE): Invoke
        _AS_MKDIR_P_PREPARE.

2002-03-28  Kevin Ryde  <address@hidden>

        * lib/autoconf/c.m4 (AC_C_INLINE): Test with a typedef return value,
        to avoid versions of HP C which don't allow that.

2002-03-27  Paul Eggert  <address@hidden>

        * lib/m4sugar/m4sh.m4 (_AS_BASENAME_PREPARE): New macro.
        (AS_SHELL_SANITIZE): Invoke it.
        (AS_BASENAME): AS_REQUIRE it, and use $as_basename.

2002-03-26  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * doc/autoconf.texi (Portable Shell): Add pointers to FAQs.

2002-03-26  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * doc/autoconf.texi (Introduction): The GNATS base moved.

2002-03-25  Paul Eggert  <address@hidden>

        * tests/m4sh.at: Don't rely on "PATH=test:$PATH test-1" working
        as POSIX requires, as it doesn't work with Zsh.
        * doc/autoconf.texi (Assignments): Document the problem.

2002-03-25  Alexandre Duret-Lutz  <address@hidden>

        * doc/autoconf.texi (Limitations of Make): Mention more issue
        about VPATH, overriding of macros in sub-makes, and handling of
        SHELL.

2002-03-21  Paul Eggert  <address@hidden>

        * doc/autoconf.texi (Here-Documents): Mention Solaris 8 dtksh
        problem with here-document buffer boundaries.

        * lib/m4sugar/m4sh.m4 (_AS_LINENO_PREPARE): Unset ENV and BASH_ENV
        when reinvoking the shell, to work around problems with installers
        who put strange things like "cd" commands in their environments.

2002-03-19  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * tests/semantics.at (AC_C_BIGENDIAN): s/unknow/unknown/.
        From Aaron Ucko.

2002-03-19  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * bin/autoscan.in (scan_file): Specify the location in `&used'
        invocations.
        From Nicolas Joly.

2002-03-19  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * doc/autoconf.texi: Adjust @code/@command, @xref/@ref usage.
        From Nishio Futoshi.

2002-03-19  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * lib/m4sugar/m4sugar.m4 (m4_define_default, m4_fst, m4_map): New.

2002-03-18  Paul Eggert  <address@hidden>

        * doc/autoconf.texi (Programming in M4sh): Add AS_MKDIR_P.
        (Limitations of Usual Tools): Add mkdir section.

        * lib/m4sugar/m4sh.m4 (_AS_MKDIR_P_PREPARE): New macro.
        (AS_MKDIR_P): Require it.  Use mkdir -p if available, falling
        back on AS_DIRNAME to compute prefixes otherwise; this is
        roughly what mkinstalldirs does.  That way, we need not have
        our own filename disassembler.  The old disassembler did not
        work with Solaris 8 dtksh, which is ksh Version M-12/28/93d.

        * lib/autotest/general.m4 (AT_INIT, AT_CLEANUP):
        Create at_test_all by a series of assignments,
        not by a single assignment of a long string.  The latter causes ksh
        version 11/16/88g to silently misbehave on OpenServer 5.0.6a,
        presumably because of a buffer overrun.

2002-03-14  Paul Eggert  <address@hidden>

        * lib/autotest/general.m4 (at_times_skip):
        Renamed from at_times.  Now a boolean.
        ksh93 Version M-12/28/93d doesn't like 'x=times; $x'; it
        says 'times: not found'.

2002-03-14  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * bin/autoreconf.in (&study_gettextize): New.
        (&autoreconf): Handle newest gettextize.
        Rerun aclocal if needed.
        Suggested by Andreas Schwab.

2002-03-13  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * doc/autoconf.texi (Special Shell Variables): More about IFS.

2002-03-13  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * doc/autoconf.texi (Header Portability): New.
        Add information about stdint.h and inttypes.h from Paul Eggert.

2002-03-13  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * doc/autoconf.texi (Limitations of Usual Tools): Some about `cp
        -p'.
        From Bob Proulx.

2002-03-12  Akim Demaille  <address@hidden>

        * lib/m4sugar/m4sh.m4 (AS_BASENAME_EXPR): AS_REQUIRE, not
        m4_require.

2002-03-11  Andreas Schwab  <address@hidden>

        * configure.ac: Explicitly check for EMACS since AM_PATH_LISPDIR
        does not do it if --with-lispdir is given.

        (AT_CONFIGURE_AC): Output the definition of AC_STATE_SAVE in
        configure.ac.
        (_AS_LINENO_PREPARE): Use as_cr_digits and as_cr_alnum rather
        arguments.

-- 
Ashamed.