Re: Logging Library-GSOC

[Werner LEMBERG]

> I was exploring the logging libraries as per the requirements, and I
> was thinking of adding functionality to automatically check whether
> the logging library is installed or not as FreeType does for other
> libraries like Harfbuzz and libpng.

Not sure whether it makes sense at all to use the library as an
optional feature.  I would rather say it should be linked directly
into FreeType, which means it should be added to FreeType as a git
submodule, and eventually distributed together with FreeType (i.e.,
being part of the tarball).

> But most of the logging libraries which I have seen till now do not
> produce .pc file.

This by itself is probably a bug that you should report to the library
maintainers.  However, if we use it as a submodule it is not a
problem.

> So, Is there some other way to automatically detect the metadata
> about the library or do I have to use environment variables (like
> HARFBUZZ_CFLAGS and HARFBUZZ_LIBS) to get metadata from the user?

Have a look at the autoconf info manual.  The classical way is to
check for an installed header file (AC_CHECK_HEADER) and to compile a
function of the library (AC_CHECK_LIB), both to be added to
`configure.raw`.  Calling `autogen.sh` will create `configure.ac`,
which in turn is the template to create the final `configure` script.


    Werner