Re: pkg-config wisdom

[Ben Pfaff]

"Murray S. Kucherawy" <address@hidden> writes:

>> I imagine that pkg-config has not been integrated into Autoconf
>> because it does not fit well into the Autoconf philosophy.
>
> Right, so I'm wondering what that philosophy is, I suppose.

Usually Autoconf tests for particular features, by attempting to
compile (etc.) programs that use those features.  pkg-config
instead tests for a particular version of a particular library.

Also, from the introduction to the Autoconf manual:

       Because of its mission, the Autoconf package itself
    includes only a set of often-used macros that have already
    demonstrated their usefulness.  Nevertheless, if you wish to
    share your macros, or find existing ones, see the Autoconf
    Macro Archive (http://autoconf-archive.cryp.to/), which is
    kindly run by Peter Simons <address@hidden>.

> I'm also wondering whether some set of macros that follows "if
> pkg-config installed then use it, else try to find stuff using
> this heuristic" exists out there someplace that I can use.

I do not know of one, but I have not looked for one.
-- 
Ben Pfaff 
http://benpfaff.org