>>> "Norman" == Norman Gray <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
Norman> Alexandre, greetings, Norman> On Wednesday, July 30, 2003, at 06:40 PM, Alexandre Duret-Lutz wrote: >> Here is a second version of this section, so that we have Norman> This looks great -- it's very clear indeed. As an ignorant user, I'm Norman> much more confident that I know what's going on. I have a few Norman> comments. Norman> ------- >> Libtool abstracts shared and static libraries into a unified concept >> henceforth called "libtool libraries". Libtool libraries are files >> using the `.la' suffix, and can designate a static library, a shared >> [...] >> the `.lo' suffix. Libtool libraries are built from these libtool >> objects. Norman> [I would add, here:] Norman> You don't need to know anything about the structure of `.la' or `.lo' Norman> files (and they are subject to change), but it is these files that Norman> libtool and automake use to coordinate the dependencies in a package, Norman> and it is these which you should use to express those dependencies. Norman> In other words, the existence of the libtool libraries and objects is Norman> part of the automake API; the content is not. Hmmm, I'd rather not mention the API outside its section, or we'll end up doing it everywhere. Everything which is documented is in the API. How about this You should not assume anything about the structure of `.la' or `.lo' files and how libtool constructs them: this is libtool's concern, and the last thing one wants is to learn about libtool's guts. However the existence of these files matters, because they are used as targets and dependencies in `Makefile's when building libtool libraries. There are situations where you may have to interact with these, for instance when setting dependencies for building source files conditionally (*note Conditional Libtool Sources::). [...] Norman> Also, note that if you include the declarations for building a shared Norman> library, automake will automatically build the corresponding static Norman> library [this is true, isn't it?] Honestly I don't know. Perhaps it's true, I guess it is, but even tho I wouldn't assume that if libfoo.la exists then libfoo.a exists. Since I've requested libfoo.la, I shall only use libfoo.la. Static linking against libfoo.la can be forced using libtool's -static or -all-static options. [...] Norman> ...in some `_LTLIBRARIES' variable, such as `lib_LTLIBRARIES'. Would the work "installable" help? This is the case for libraries listed explicitly in some installable `_LTLIBRARIES' variables such as `lib_LTLIBRARIES'. [...] Norman> [?add] Norman> Recall that you will typically not assign to either `LIBOBJS' or Norman> `LTLIBOBJS', either in `automake' or `configure'; your only contact Norman> with it is to declare which library depends on these missing Norman> functions. [or am I still confused, sigh?] I guess LIBOBJS really needs its own section, but one chore a week is enough :) -- Alexandre Duret-Lutz
