Command file interface to archiver (was: Re: msvs support)

[Peter Ekberg]

Hi Ralf!

> | @@ -6342,44 +6454,59 @@
> |        test "$len" -le "$max_cmd_len" || test "$max_cmd_len" -le -1; then
> |       cmds=$old_archive_cmds
> |     else
> | -     # the command line is too long to link in one step, link in parts
> | -     func_echo "using piecewise archive linking..."
> | -     save_RANLIB=$RANLIB
> | -     RANLIB=:
> | -     objlist=
> | -     concat_cmds=
> | -     save_oldobjs=$oldobjs
> | -     # Is there a better way of finding the last object in the list?
> | -     for obj in $save_oldobjs
> | -     do
> | -       last_oldobj=$obj
> | -     done
> | -     for obj in $save_oldobjs
> | -     do
> | -       oldobjs="$objlist $obj"
> | -       objlist="$objlist $obj"
> | -       eval test_cmds=\"$old_archive_cmds\"
> | -       if len=`expr "X$test_cmds" : ".*" 2>/dev/null` &&
> | -          test "$len" -le "$max_cmd_len"; then
> | -         :
> | -       else
> | -         # the above command should be used before it gets too long
> | -         oldobjs=$objlist
> | -         if test "$obj" = "$last_oldobj" ; then
> | -           RANLIB=$save_RANLIB
> | +     case $host_os/$with_gcc in
> | +     mingw*/no | mingw*/ | cygwin*/no | cygwin*/)
> | +       # Assume MSVC _and_ lib archiver interface...
> | +       func_echo "using command file archive linking..."
> | +       for obj in $oldobjs; do
> | +         $ECHO \""$obj"\"
> | +       done > $output_objdir/$libname.libcmd
> | +       save_oldobjs="$oldobjs"
> | +       oldobjs=" @$output_objdir/$libname.libcmd"
> | +       eval cmds=\"\$old_archive_cmds\"
> | +       oldobjs="$save_oldobjs"
> | +       ;;
> | +     *)
> | +       # the command line is too long to link in one step, link in parts
> | +       func_echo "using piecewise archive linking..."
> | +       save_RANLIB=$RANLIB
> | +       RANLIB=:
> | +       objlist=
> | +       concat_cmds=
> | +       save_oldobjs=$oldobjs
> | +       # Is there a better way of finding the last object in the list?
> | +       for obj in $save_oldobjs
> | +       do
> | +         last_oldobj=$obj
> | +       done
> | +       for obj in $save_oldobjs
> | +       do
> | +         oldobjs="$objlist $obj"
> | +         objlist="$objlist $obj"
> | +         eval test_cmds=\"$old_archive_cmds\"
> | +         if len=`expr "X$test_cmds" : ".*" 2>/dev/null` &&
> | +            test "$len" -le "$max_cmd_len"; then
> | +           :
> | +         else
> | +           # the above command should be used before it gets too long
> | +           oldobjs=$objlist
> | +           if test "$obj" = "$last_oldobj" ; then
> | +             RANLIB=$save_RANLIB
> | +           fi
> | +           test -z "$concat_cmds" || concat_cmds=$concat_cmds~
> | +           eval concat_cmds=\"\${concat_cmds}$old_archive_cmds\"
> | +           objlist=
> |           fi
> | -         test -z "$concat_cmds" || concat_cmds=$concat_cmds~
> | -         eval concat_cmds=\"\${concat_cmds}$old_archive_cmds\"
> | -         objlist=
> | +       done
> | +       RANLIB=$save_RANLIB
> | +       oldobjs=$objlist
> | +       if test "X$oldobjs" = "X" ; then
> | +         eval cmds=\"\$concat_cmds\"
> | +       else
> | +         eval cmds=\"\$concat_cmds~\$old_archive_cmds\"
> |         fi
> | -     done
> | -     RANLIB=$save_RANLIB
> | -     oldobjs=$objlist
> | -     if test "X$oldobjs" = "X" ; then
> | -       eval cmds=\"\$concat_cmds\"
> | -     else
> | -       eval cmds=\"\$concat_cmds~\$old_archive_cmds\"
> | -     fi
> | +       ;;
> | +     esac
> |     fi
> |        fi
> |        func_execute_cmds "$cmds" 'exit $?'
> 
> I don't like this big hunk yet.  It's pretty invasive, it assumes
> | +       # Assume MSVC _and_ lib archiver interface...
> 
> and there is room for other systems to improve, too.
> Side note: 
> | +       if test "X$oldobjs" = "X" ; then
> 
> could be `test -z "$oldobjs"'.

Huh? What is invasive about it? Yes, the hunk is large, but the bulk
of it is just an indentation change. The meat is 8 lines of code
specific for MSVC.

Agreed, the test should be done in libtool.m4 and be propagated to
ltmain through some variable, and other systems could perhaps
benefit from a command file to the archiver as well. You did not
like the other command file interface, can you please specify this
one to your liking? Please ;-)

I have found no way to do piecewise linking using Microsoft link,
so AFAIK the command file is desperately needed here, and I did
not find a better way to add it, sorry.

Comment to side note: that is just reindented old code, so don't
blame me :-)

Cheers,
Peter