Re: superfluous link rule for unknown languages

[Tom Tromey]

>>>>> "adl" == Alexandre Duret-Lutz <address@hidden> writes:

adl> I see $seen_exeext is set to 1 when Automake encounter
adl> AC_EXEEXT.  AC_EXEEXT has been obsoleted in Autoconf 2.50 which
adl> now always compute EXEEXT.  Isn't this why Automake
adl> unconditionnaly used $(EXEEXT) ?

I don't understand the current code.
With autoconf 2.50, how do we ever know to set $seen_exeext?
We need to set this correctly for the code to work.
But with 2.50 there is no way to set it.

Akim, what is the fix?

Tom> Yes.  And this means that if you are using autoconf 2.50 then you
Tom> must write the target as `prog$(EXEEXT)'.

adl> Precisely I don't think it's true with this fix you have checked
adl> in.  Now you should write `prog$(EXEEXT)' only if Automake see
adl> AC_EXEEXT.  But since AC_EXEEXT is *implicit* in Autoconf 2.50,
adl> Automake will never see AC_EXEEXT.

I agree that is a problem.
But I don't think the old code worked either.
That's because I think the old code with 2.50 would always set
`EXEEXT' to `'.

adl> Can't Automake be tweaked so that it recognizes `mumble' and
adl> `mumble$(EXEEXT)' are the same targets ?  Maybe it's as simple
adl> as ignoring '$(EXEEXT)' in the $RULE_PATTERN regex.

They are only the same targets if EXEEXT isn't in use.

With the advent of 2.50, if you want to write your own program target,
then you'll always have to add $(EXEEXT) by hand.  This is ugly, but
unavoidable.

Tom