Re: CFLAGS default values

[Eric Sunshine]

On Sun, 30 Nov 2003 09:56:56 -0600 (CST), Bob Friesenhahn wrote:
> Perhaps because different compilers accept different options.  If the
> configure script supplies unsupported options, configure will fail
> entirely.

These are all good arguments for the formulation of a new proposal,  
specifically that there should be separate macros for determining the  
compiler optimization and debugging flags.  At the very least, the macros  
could supply default optimization and debugging levels (the same settings  
that AC_PROG_CC already applies automatically to CFLAGS).  Better would be  
for the macros to allow the caller to request, via some sort of generalized  
mechanism, that "low", "medium", or "high" level of optimization and/or  
debugging is desired, and return appropriate flags, rather than assuming that  
those flags must be inserted into CFLAGS.  The important point is that the  
present-day conglomerate AC_PROG_CC (AC_PROG_CXX) check could be refactored  
into component parts which (1) determine the compiler, (2) determine  
optimization flags, (3) determine debugging flags.  This would allow clients  
more control over which flags are placed ultimately into CFLAGS.  For  
backward compatibility, of course, AC_PROG_CC could still perform all three  
steps and augment CFLAGS as a convenience.

-- ES