7.2 Setting Output Variables

Another way to record the results of tests is to set output variables, which are shell variables whose values are substituted into files that configure outputs. The two macros below create new output variables. See section 4.7.1 Preset Output Variables, for a list of output variables that are always available.

Macro: AC_SUBST (variable, [value])

Create an output variable from a shell variable. Make AC_OUTPUT substitute the variable variable into output files (typically one or more `Makefile's). This means that AC_OUTPUT will replace instances of `@variable@' in input files with the value that the shell variable variable has when AC_OUTPUT is called. This value of variable should not contain literal newlines.

If value is given, in addition assign it to variable.

Macro: AC_SUBST_FILE (variable)

Another way to create an output variable from a shell variable. Make AC_OUTPUT insert (without substitutions) the contents of the file named by shell variable variable into output files. This means that AC_OUTPUT will replace instances of `@variable@' in output files (such as `Makefile.in') with the contents of the file that the shell variable variable names when AC_OUTPUT is called. Set the variable to `/dev/null' for cases that do not have a file to insert.

This macro is useful for inserting `Makefile' fragments containing special dependencies or other make directives for particular host or target types into `Makefile's. For example, `configure.ac' could contain:

AC_SUBST_FILE(host_frag) host_frag=$srcdir/conf/sun4.mh

and then a `Makefile.in' could contain:

@host_frag@

Running configure in varying environments can be extremely dangerous. If for instance the user runs `CC=bizarre-cc ./configure', then the cache, `config.h', and many other output files will depend upon bizarre-cc being the C compiler. If for some reason the user runs ./configure again, or if it is run via `./config.status --recheck', (See section 4.7.4 Automatic Remaking, and see section 14. Recreating a Configuration), then the configuration can be inconsistent, composed of results depending upon two different compilers.

Environment variables that affect this situation, such as `CC' above, are called precious variables, and can be declared as such by AC_ARG_VAR.

Macro: AC_ARG_VAR (variable, description)

Declare variable is a precious variable, and include its description in the variable section of `./configure --help'.

Being precious means that

• variable is AC_SUBST'd.

• The value of variable when configure was launched is saved in the cache, including if it was not specified on the command line but via the environment. Indeed, while configure can notice the definition of CC in `./configure CC=bizarre-cc', it is impossible to notice it in `CC=bizarre-cc ./configure', which, unfortunately, is what most users do.

  We emphasize that it is the initial value of variable which is saved, not that found during the execution of configure. Indeed, specifying `./configure FOO=foo' and letting `./configure' guess that FOO is foo can be two very different runs.

• variable is checked for consistency between two configure runs. For instance:

  $ ./configure --silent --config-cache $ CC=cc ./configure --silent --config-cache configure: error: `CC' was not set in the previous run configure: error: changes in the environment can compromise \ the build configure: error: run `make distclean' and/or \ `rm config.cache' and start over

  and similarly if the variable is unset, or if its content is changed.

• variable is kept during automatic reconfiguration (see section 14. Recreating a Configuration) as if it had been passed as a command line argument, including when no cache is used:

  $ CC=/usr/bin/cc ./configure undeclared_var=raboof --silent $ ./config.status --recheck running /bin/sh ./configure undeclared_var=raboof --silent \ CC=/usr/bin/cc --no-create --no-recursion