Build `bindir.h' from `configure'

It's possible to define this preprocessor macro from `configure', either in `config.h' (see section `Defining Directories' in The Autoconf Manual), or by processing a `bindir.h.in' file using AC_CONFIG_FILES (see section `Configuration Actions' in The Autoconf Manual).

At this point it should be clear that building `bindir.h' from `configure' work well for this example. `bindir.h' will exist before you build any target, hence will not cause any dependency issue.

The Makefile can be shrunk as follows. We do not even have to mention `bindir.h'.

bin_PROGRAMS = foo foo_SOURCES = foo.c

However, it's not always possible to build sources from `configure', especially when these sources are generated by a tool that needs to be built first...