guile/doc/ref/libguile-autoconf.texi

@c -*-texinfo-*-
@c This is part of the GNU Guile Reference Manual.
@c Copyright (C)  1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2011
@c   Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@c See the file guile.texi for copying conditions.

@page
@node Autoconf Support
@section Autoconf Support

Autoconf, a part of the GNU build system, makes it easy for users to
build your package.  This section documents Guile's Autoconf support.

@menu
* Autoconf Background::         Why use autoconf?
* Autoconf Macros::             The GUILE_* macros.
* Using Autoconf Macros::       How to use them, plus examples.
@end menu


@node Autoconf Background
@subsection Autoconf Background

As explained in the @cite{GNU Autoconf Manual}, any package needs
configuration at build-time (@pxref{Top, ,Introduction,autoconf,The GNU
Autoconf Manual}).  If your package uses Guile (or uses a package that
in turn uses Guile), you probably need to know what specific Guile
features are available and details about them.

The way to do this is to write feature tests and arrange for their execution
by the @file{configure} script, typically by adding the tests to
@file{configure.ac}, and running @code{autoconf} to create @file{configure}.
Users of your package then run @file{configure} in the normal way.

Macros are a way to make common feature tests easy to express.
Autoconf provides a wide range of macros 
(@pxref{Existing Tests,,,autoconf,The GNU Autoconf Manual}), 
and Guile installation provides Guile-specific tests in the areas of:
program detection, compilation flags reporting, and Scheme module
checks.


@node Autoconf Macros
@subsection Autoconf Macros

As mentioned earlier in this chapter, Guile supports parallel
installation, and uses @code{pkg-config} to let the user choose which
version of Guile they are interested in.  @code{pkg-config} has its own
set of Autoconf macros that are probably installed on most every
development system.  The most useful of these macros is
@code{PKG_CHECK_MODULES}.

@findex PKG_CHECK_MODULES

@example
PKG_CHECK_MODULES([GUILE], [guile-@value{EFFECTIVE-VERSION}])
@end example

This example looks for Guile and sets the @code{GUILE_CFLAGS} and
@code{GUILE_LIBS} variables accordingly, or prints an error and exits if
Guile was not found.

Guile comes with additional Autoconf macros providing more information,
installed as @file{@var{prefix}/share/aclocal/guile.m4}.  Their names
all begin with @code{GUILE_}.

@c see Makefile.am
@include autoconf-macros.texi


@node Using Autoconf Macros
@subsection Using Autoconf Macros

Using the autoconf macros is straightforward: Add the macro "calls" (actually
instantiations) to @file{configure.ac}, run @code{aclocal}, and finally,
run @code{autoconf}.  If your system doesn't have guile.m4 installed, place
the desired macro definitions (@code{AC_DEFUN} forms) in @file{acinclude.m4},
and @code{aclocal} will do the right thing.

Some of the macros can be used inside normal shell constructs: @code{if foo ;
then GUILE_BAZ ; fi}, but this is not guaranteed.  It's probably a good idea
to instantiate macros at top-level.

We now include two examples, one simple and one complicated.

The first example is for a package that uses libguile, and thus needs to
know how to compile and link against it.  So we use
@code{PKG_CHECK_MODULES} to set the vars @code{GUILE_CFLAGS} and
@code{GUILE_LIBS}, which are automatically substituted in the Makefile.

@example
In configure.ac:

  PKG_CHECK_MODULES([GUILE], [guile-@value{EFFECTIVE-VERSION}])

In Makefile.in:

  GUILE_CFLAGS  = @@GUILE_CFLAGS@@
  GUILE_LIBS = @@GUILE_LIBS@@

  myprog.o: myprog.c
          $(CC) -o $@ $(GUILE_CFLAGS) $<
  myprog: myprog.o
          $(CC) -o $@ $< $(GUILE_LIBS)
@end example

The second example is for a package of Guile Scheme modules that uses an
external program and other Guile Scheme modules (some might call this a "pure
scheme" package).  So we use the @code{GUILE_SITE_DIR} macro, a regular
@code{AC_PATH_PROG} macro, and the @code{GUILE_MODULE_AVAILABLE} macro.

@example
In configure.ac:

  GUILE_SITE_DIR

  probably_wont_work=""

  # pgtype pgtable
  GUILE_MODULE_AVAILABLE(have_guile_pg, (database postgres))
  test $have_guile_pg = no &&
      probably_wont_work="(my pgtype) (my pgtable) $probably_wont_work"

  # gpgutils
  AC_PATH_PROG(GNUPG,gpg)
  test x"$GNUPG" = x &&
      probably_wont_work="(my gpgutils) $probably_wont_work"

  if test ! "$probably_wont_work" = "" ; then
      p="         ***"
      echo
      echo "$p"
      echo "$p NOTE:"
      echo "$p The following modules probably won't work:"
      echo "$p   $probably_wont_work"
      echo "$p They can be installed anyway, and will work if their"
      echo "$p dependencies are installed later.  Please see README."
      echo "$p"
      echo
  fi

In Makefile.in:

  instdir = @@GUILE_SITE@@/my

  install:
        $(INSTALL) my/*.scm $(instdir)
@end example


@c autoconf.texi ends here