[Python-Dev] autoheader warning for WITH_UNIVERSAL_NEWLINES

[Guido van Rossum]

> how do I find out about all this autoconf magic? I simply used the code 
> for another configure option (WITH_GC, I think) as a template and 
> modified it for my needs. But I'm really groping in the dark with 
> configure. I've have never heard of autoheader, for instance, and 
> haven't a clue that I should have used it (if I should have, and for 
> what:-)

I think Martin redid the configure.in stuff just after you were done
with your patch but before you checked it in. :-)

autoheader is used to create the pyconfig.h.in file.  It's run by the
Makefile when you say "make autoconf".  A common mistake when adding a
new configure check or option is to add the desired symbol directly
into pyconfig.h.in.  The correct solution is currently to use a 3-arg
AC_DEFINE call as Martin showed; until last week, it was to add a few
lines to acconfig.h (which no longer exists).

Docs for autoconf and autoheader are in info form.  If you're still a
vi(m) user :-), "info autoheader" at the shell command line will tell
you more.

--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)