Re: specifying multiple with arguments

[Dan Manthey]

On Tue, 15 Mar 2005, Braden McDaniel wrote:

> While you can use any value you want as the argument to a --with-*
> option, anything other than "yes" or "no" usually complicates the UI and
> should generally be avoided unless it is a clear simplification (IMO).
>
> So why not:
>
>    ./configure --with-package1 --with-package2
>
> Braden
>

You're confusing the semantics of --enable-* and --with-*.  --with-* is
intended to specify use of an optional external package and as such often
needs to have the external package's location specified (e.g.
--with-X=/usr/local/X11R6).  If you consider a "package" to instead be an
interface, say to a set of functions, it becomes sensible to specify
multiple implementing packages that each provide the interface (e.g.
--with-line-ui=readline,some-other-thing).  I don't know if such an
interpretation is sanctioned by Autoconf, but it's well within the scope
of --with-*, in which case, it may be reasonable for --with-foo=bar,quux
to also be expressed as --with-foo=bar --with-foo=quux.

-Dan