[PATCHES] Docs on automatic dependency tracking (was: Testing a new compiler with Automake "simple tests")

[Stefano Lattarini]

[From a discussion on address@hidden

At Tuesday 17 August 2010, Roberto Bagnara wrote:
> On 08/17/10 13:26, Stefano Lattarini wrote:
> > At Tuesday 17 August 2010, Roberto Bagnara wrote:
> >> I would like to test a new special-purpose compiler
> >> (which is part of a bigger project) using the Automake
> >> "simple tests" feature.
> >> 
> >> I have two problems:
> >> [CUT]
> >> 2) Automatic dependency tracking cannot work in
> >>    that directory of the project (indeed, the only
> >>    dependency is on the compiler... all the test
> >>    programs are self-contained).  How can I disably
> >>    automatic dependency tracking *only* on that
> >>    directory?
> > 
> > What about adding `no-dependencies' to AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS
> > in that directory's Makefile.am?  The documentation at
> > <http://www.gnu.org/software/automake/manual/automake.html#Options>
> > reads:
> >    "no-dependencies: This is similar to using --ignore-deps on
> >    the command line, but is useful for those situations where you
> >    don't have the necessary bits to make automatic dependency
> >    tracking work (see Dependencies).  In this case the effect
> >    is to effectively disable automatic dependency tracking."
> 
> Yes, this works.  Sorry for not having looked at the manual
> carefully enough (not that I did not try).
The attached patch n.2 should make it harder to miss this bit of
information when looking through the manual.  The patch n.1 is
just a typofix.  Ok to apply to maint?

Regards,
  Stefano

From ef90f67c33297b361ac9630fd5fa8be5d2e463d5 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Stefano Lattarini <address@hidden>
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2010 19:23:47 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 1/2] Fix typo in manual (`Makefile.in' instead of 
`Makefile.am').

* doc/automake.texi (Automatic dependency tracking): Ditto.
---
 ChangeLog         |    5 +++++
 doc/automake.texi |    2 +-
 2 files changed, 6 insertions(+), 1 deletions(-)

diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 5453722..dbab59d 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2010-08-17  Stefano Lattarini  <address@hidden>
+
+       Fix typo in manual (`Makefile.in' instead of `Makefile.am').
+       * doc/automake.texi (Automatic dependency tracking): Ditto.
+
 2010-08-10  Stefano Lattarini  <address@hidden>
 
        Tweak and/or extend some `acloca*.test' tests.
diff --git a/doc/automake.texi b/doc/automake.texi
index 7484a76..6be1443 100644
--- a/doc/automake.texi
+++ b/doc/automake.texi
@@ -6768,7 +6768,7 @@ vs.@: @code{LIBOBJS}, autoconf, The Autoconf Manual})
 @section Automatic dependency tracking
 
 As a developer it is often painful to continually update the
address@hidden whenever the include-file dependencies change in a
address@hidden whenever the include-file dependencies change in a
 project.  Automake supplies a way to automatically track dependency
 changes (@pxref{Dependency Tracking}).
 
-- 
1.7.1

From e701a503993423ec559eb7b90135fe7dce724eef Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Stefano Lattarini <address@hidden>
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2010 22:19:08 +0200
Subject: [PATCH 2/2] Docs: clarify how to avoid automatic dependencies tracking.

* doc/automake.texi (Automatic dependency tracking): Tell that
automatic dependencies tracking is on by default, but that the
package developer can disable it altogether.  Add a referencw
to the proper section for a more in-depth explanation.
---
 ChangeLog         |    6 ++++++
 doc/automake.texi |    5 +++++
 2 files changed, 11 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)

diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index dbab59d..31e0bce 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 2010-08-17  Stefano Lattarini  <address@hidden>
 
+       Docs: clarify how to avoid automatic dependencies tracking.
+       * doc/automake.texi (Automatic dependency tracking): Tell that
+       automatic dependencies tracking is on by default, but that the
+       package developer can disable it altogether.  Add a referencw
+       to the proper section for a more in-depth explanation.
+
        Fix typo in manual (`Makefile.in' instead of `Makefile.am').
        * doc/automake.texi (Automatic dependency tracking): Ditto.
 
diff --git a/doc/automake.texi b/doc/automake.texi
index 6be1443..e86a55d 100644
--- a/doc/automake.texi
+++ b/doc/automake.texi
@@ -1246,6 +1246,11 @@ source being compiled).  Later, any time @command{make} 
is run and a
 dependency appears to have changed, the dependent files will be
 rebuilt.
 
+By default, Automake generates code for such an automatic dependency
+tracking. Note, however, that the developer can override this, and
+avoid automatic dependency tracking altogether; see @ref{Dependencies}
+for more information.
+
 When @command{configure} is executed, you can see it probing each
 compiler for the dependency mechanism it supports (several mechanisms
 can be used):
-- 
1.7.1