Node:Cache Variable Names,
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Cache Variable Names
The names of cache variables should have the following format:
package-prefix_cv_value-type_specific-value_[additional-options]
for example, ac_cv_header_stat_broken or
ac_cv_prog_gcc_traditional. The parts of the variable name are:
- package-prefix
- An abbreviation for your package or organization; the same prefix you
begin local Autoconf macros with, except lowercase by convention.
For cache values used by the distributed Autoconf macros, this value is
ac.
_cv_
- Indicates that this shell variable is a cache value. This string
must be present in the variable name, including the leading
underscore.
- value-type
- A convention for classifying cache values, to produce a rational naming
system. The values used in Autoconf are listed in Macro Names.
- specific-value
- Which member of the class of cache values this test applies to.
For example, which function (
alloca), program (gcc), or
output variable (INSTALL).
- additional-options
- Any particular behavior of the specific member that this test applies to.
For example,
broken or set. This part of the name may
be omitted if it does not apply.
The values assigned to cache variables may not contain newlines.
Usually, their values will be boolean (yes or no) or the
names of files or functions; so this is not an important restriction.