This file documents GNU AutoGen Version 5.9.
AutoGen copyright (C) 1992-2007 Bruce Korb AutoOpts copyright (C)
1992-2007 Bruce Korb snprintfv copyright (C) 1999-2000 Gary V. Vaughan
AutoGen is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it
under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the
Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at
your option) any later version.
AutoGen is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU
General Public License for more details.
You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
along with this program. If not, see .
The Automated Program Generator
*******************************
This file documents AutoGen version 5.9. It is a tool designed for
generating program files that contain repetitive text with varied
substitutions. This document is very long because it is intended as a
reference document. For a quick start example, *Note Example Usage::.
The AutoGen distribution includes the basic generator engine and
several add-on libraries and programs. Of the most general interest
would be Automated Option processing, *Note AutoOpts::, which also
includes stand-alone support for configuration file parsing, *Note
Features::. Please see the "Add-on packages for AutoGen" section for
additional programs and libraries associated with AutoGen.
This edition documents version 5.9, May 2008.
1 Introduction
**************
AutoGen is a tool designed for generating program files that contain
repetitive text with varied substitutions. Its goal is to simplify
the maintenance of programs that contain large amounts of repetitious
text. This is especially valuable if there are several blocks of
such text that must be kept synchronized in parallel tables.
One common example is the problem of maintaining the code required for
processing program options. Processing options requires a minimum of
four different constructs be kept in proper order in different places
in your program. You need at least:
1. The flag character in the flag string,
2. code to process the flag when it is encountered,
3. a global state variable or two, and
4. a line in the usage text.
You will need more things besides this if you choose to implement long
option names, rc/ini/config file processing, environment variables
and so on. All of this can be done mechanically; with the proper
templates and this program. In fact, it has already been done and
AutoGen itself uses it *Note AutoOpts::. For a simple example of
Automated Option processing, *Note Quick Start::. For a full list of
the Automated Option features, *Note Features::.
1.1 The Purpose of AutoGen
==========================
The idea of this program is to have a text file, a template if you
will, that contains the general text of the desired output file.
That file includes substitution expressions and sections of text that
are replicated under the control of separate definition files.
AutoGen was designed with the following features:
1. The definitions are completely separate from the template. By
completely isolating the definitions from the template it
greatly increases the flexibility of the template
implementation. A secondary goal is that a template user only
needs to specify those data that are necessary to describe his
application of a template.
2. Each datum in the definitions is named. Thus, the definitions
can be rearranged, augmented and become obsolete without it
being necessary to go back and clean up older definition files.
Reduce incompatibilities!
3. Every definition name defines an array of values, even when
there is only one entry. These arrays of values are used to
control the replication of sections of the template.
4. There are named collections of definitions. They form a nested
hierarchy. Associated values are collected and associated with
a group name. These associated data are used collectively in
sets of substitutions.
5. The template has special markers to indicate where substitutions
are required, much like the `${VAR}' construct in a shell `here
doc'. These markers are not fixed strings. They are specified
at the start of each template. Template designers know best
what fits into their syntax and can avoid marker conflicts.
We did this because it is burdensome and difficult to avoid
conflicts using either M4 tokenization or C preprocessor
substitution rules. It also makes it easier to specify
expressions that transform the value. Of course, our
expressions are less cryptic than the shell methods.
6. These same markers are used, in conjunction with enclosed
keywords, to indicate sections of text that are to be skipped
and for sections of text that are to be repeated. This is a
major improvement over using C preprocessing macros. With the C
preprocessor, you have no way of selecting output text because
it is an unvarying, mechanical substitution process.
7. Finally, we supply methods for carefully controlling the output.
Sometimes, it is just simply easier and clearer to compute some
text or a value in one context when its application needs to be
later. So, functions are available for saving text or values
for later use.
1.2 A Simple Example
====================
This is just one simple example that shows a few basic features. If
you are interested, you also may run "make check" with the `VERBOSE'
environment variable set and see a number of other examples in the
`agen5/test/testdir' directory.
Assume you have an enumeration of names and you wish to associate some
string with each name. Assume also, for the sake of this example,
that it is either too complex or too large to maintain easily by hand.
We will start by writing an abbreviated version of what the result is
supposed to be. We will use that to construct our output templates.
In a header file, `list.h', you define the enumeration and the global
array containing the associated strings:
typedef enum {
IDX_ALPHA,
IDX_BETA,
IDX_OMEGA } list_enum;
extern char const* az_name_list[ 3 ];
Then you also have `list.c' that defines the actual strings:
#include "list.h"
char const* az_name_list[] = {
"some alpha stuff",
"more beta stuff",
"final omega stuff" };
First, we will define the information that is unique for each
enumeration name/string pair. This would be placed in a file named,
`list.def', for example.
autogen definitions list;
list = { list_element = alpha;
list_info = "some alpha stuff"; };
list = { list_info = "more beta stuff";
list_element = beta; };
list = { list_element = omega;
list_info = "final omega stuff"; };
The `autogen definitions list;' entry defines the file as an AutoGen
definition file that uses a template named `list'. That is followed
by three `list' entries that define the associations between the
enumeration names and the strings. The order of the differently named
elements inside of list is unimportant. They are reversed inside of
the `beta' entry and the output is unaffected.
Now, to actually create the output, we need a template or two that
can be expanded into the files you want. In this program, we use a
single template that is capable of multiple output files. The
definitions above refer to a `list' template, so it would normally be
named, `list.tpl'.
It looks something like this. (For a full description, *Note
Template File::.)
[+ AutoGen5 template h c +]
[+ CASE (suffix) +][+
== h +]
typedef enum {[+
FOR list "," +]
IDX_[+ (string-upcase! (get "list_element")) +][+
ENDFOR list +] } list_enum;
extern char const* az_name_list[ [+ (count "list") +] ];
[+
== c +]
#include "list.h"
char const* az_name_list[] = {[+
FOR list "," +]
"[+list_info+]"[+
ENDFOR list +] };[+
ESAC +]
The `[+ AutoGen5 template h c +]' text tells AutoGen that this is an
AutoGen version 5 template file; that it is to be processed twice;
that the start macro marker is `[+'; and the end marker is `+]'. The
template will be processed first with a suffix value of `h' and then
with `c'. Normally, the suffix values are appended to the
`base-name' to create the output file name.
The `[+ == h +]' and `[+ == c +]' `CASE' selection clauses select
different text for the two different passes. In this example, the
output is nearly disjoint and could have been put in two separate
templates. However, sometimes there are common sections and this is
just an example.
The `[+FOR list "," +]' and `[+ ENDFOR list +]' clauses delimit a
block of text that will be repeated for every definition of `list'.
Inside of that block, the definition name-value pairs that are
members of each `list' are available for substitutions.
The remainder of the macros are expressions. Some of these contain
special expression functions that are dependent on AutoGen named
values; others are simply Scheme expressions, the result of which
will be inserted into the output text. Other expressions are names
of AutoGen values. These values will be inserted into the output
text. For example, `[+list_info+]' will result in the value
associated with the name `list_info' being inserted between the
double quotes and `(string-upcase! (get "list_element"))' will first
"get" the value associated with the name `list_element', then change
the case of all the letters to upper case. The result will be
inserted into the output document.
If you have compiled AutoGen, you can copy out the template and
definitions as described above and run `autogen list.def'. This will
produce exactly the hypothesized desired output.
One more point, too. Lets say you decided it was too much trouble to
figure out how to use AutoGen, so you created this enumeration and
string list with thousands of entries. Now, requirements have
changed and it has become necessary to map a string containing the
enumeration name into the enumeration number. With AutoGen, you just
alter the template to emit the table of names. It will be guaranteed
to be in the correct order, missing none of the entries. If you want
to do that by hand, well, good luck.
1.3 csh/zsh caveat
==================
AutoGen tries to use your normal shell so that you can supply shell
code in a manner you are accustomed to using. If, however, you use
csh or zsh, you cannot do this. Csh is sufficiently difficult to
program that it is unsupported. Zsh, though largely programmable,
also has some anomalies that make it incompatible with AutoGen usage.
Therefore, when invoking AutoGen from these environments, you must
be certain to set the SHELL environment variable to a Bourne-derived
shell, e.g., sh, ksh or bash.
Any shell you choose for your own scripts need to follow these basic
requirements:
1. It handles `trap $sig ":"' without output to standard out. This
is done when the server shell is first started. If your shell
does not handle this, then it may be able to by loading
functions from its start up files.
2. At the beginning of each scriptlet, the command `\\cd $PWD' is
inserted. This ensures that `cd' is not aliased to something
peculiar and each scriptlet starts life in the execution
directory.
3. At the end of each scriptlet, the command `echo mumble' is
appended. The program you use as a shell must emit the single
argument `mumble' on a line by itself.
1.4 A User's Perspective
========================
Alexandre wrote:
>
> I'd appreciate opinions from others about advantages/disadvantages of
> each of these macro packages.
I am using AutoGen in my pet project, and find one of its best points
to be that it separates the operational data from the implementation.
Indulge me for a few paragraphs, and all will be revealed: In the
manual, Bruce cites the example of maintaining command line flags
inside the source code; traditionally spreading usage information,
flag names, letters and processing across several functions (if not
files). Investing the time in writing a sort of boiler plate (a
template in AutoGen terminology) pays by moving all of the option
details (usage, flags names etc.) into a well structured table (a
definition file if you will), so that adding a new command line
option becomes a simple matter of adding a set of details to the
table.
So far so good! Of course, now that there is a template, writing all
of that tedious optargs processing and usage functions is no longer an
issue. Creating a table of the options needed for the new project and
running AutoGen generates all of the option processing code in C
automatically from just the tabular data. AutoGen in fact already
ships with such a template... AutoOpts.
One final consequence of the good separation in the design of AutoGen
is that it is retargetable to a greater extent. The
egcs/gcc/fixinc/inclhack.def can equally be used (with different
templates) to create a shell script (inclhack.sh) or a c program
(fixincl.c).
This is just the tip of the iceberg. AutoGen is far more powerful
than these examples might indicate, and has many other varied uses.
I am certain Bruce or I could supply you with many and varied
examples, and I would heartily recommend that you try it for your
project and see for yourself how it compares to m4.
As an aside, I would be interested to see whether someone might be
persuaded to rationalise autoconf with AutoGen in place of m4... Ben,
are you listening? autoconf-3.0! `kay? =)O|
Sincerely,
Gary V. Vaughan
2 Definitions File
******************
This chapter describes the syntax and semantics of the AutoGen
definition file. In order to instantiate a template, you normally
must provide a definitions file that identifies itself and contains
some value definitions. Consequently, we keep it very simple. For
"advanced" users, there are preprocessing directives, sparse arrays,
named indexes and comments that may be used as well.
The definitions file is used to associate values with names. Every
value is implicitly an array of values, even if there is only one
value. Values may be either simple strings or compound collections of
name-value pairs. An array may not contain both simple and compound
members. Fundamentally, it is as simple as:
prog-name = "autogen";
flag = {
name = templ_dirs;
value = L;
descrip = "Template search directory list";
};
For purposes of commenting and controlling the processing of the
definitions, C-style comments and most C preprocessing directives are
honored. The major exception is that the `#if' directive is ignored,
along with all following text through the matching `#endif'
directive. The C preprocessor is not actually invoked, so C macro
substitution is *not* performed.
2.1 The Identification Definition
=================================
The first definition in this file is used to identify it as a AutoGen
file. It consists of the two keywords, `autogen' and `definitions'
followed by the default template name and a terminating semi-colon
(`;'). That is:
AutoGen Definitions TEMPLATE-NAME;
Note that, other than the name TEMPLATE-NAME, the words `AutoGen' and
`Definitions' are searched for without case sensitivity. Most
lookups in this program are case insensitive.
Also, if the input contains more identification definitions, they
will be ignored. This is done so that you may include (*note
Directives::) other definition files without an identification
conflict.
AutoGen uses the name of the template to find the corresponding
template file. It searches for the file in the following way,
stopping when it finds the file:
1. It tries to open `./TEMPLATE-NAME'. If it fails,
2. it tries `./TEMPLATE-NAME.tpl'.
3. It searches for either of these files in the directories listed
in the templ-dirs command line option.
If AutoGen fails to find the template file in one of these places, it
prints an error message and exits.
2.2 Named Definitions
=====================
Any name may have multiple values associated with it in the definition
file. If there is more than one instance, the *only* way to expand
all of the copies of it is by using the FOR (*note FOR::) text
function on it, as described in the next chapter.
There are two kinds of definitions, `simple' and `compound'. They
are defined thus (*note Full Syntax::):
compound_name '=' '{' definition-list '}' ';'
simple_name '=' string ';'
no_text_name ';'
`No_text_name' is a simple definition with a shorthand empty string
value. The string values for definitions may be specified in any of
several formation rules.
2.2.1 Definition List
---------------------
`definition-list' is a list of definitions that may or may not
contain nested compound definitions. Any such definitions may *only*
be expanded within a `FOR' block iterating over the containing
compound definition. *Note FOR::.
Here is, again, the example definitions from the previous chapter,
with three additional name value pairs. Two with an empty value
assigned (FIRST and LAST), and a "global" GROUP_NAME.
autogen definitions list;
group_name = example;
list = { list_element = alpha; first;
list_info = "some alpha stuff"; };
list = { list_info = "more beta stuff";
list_element = beta; };
list = { list_element = omega; last;
list_info = "final omega stuff"; };
2.2.2 Double Quote String
-------------------------
The string follows the C-style escaping (`\', `\n', `\f', `\v',
etc.), plus octal character numbers specified as `\ooo'. The
difference from "C" is that the string may span multiple lines. Like
ANSI "C", a series of these strings, possibly intermixed with single
quote strings, will be concatenated together.
2.2.3 Single Quote String
-------------------------
This is similar to the shell single-quote string. However, escapes
`\' are honored before another escape, single quotes `'' and hash
characters `#'. This latter is done specifically to disambiguate
lines starting with a hash character inside of a quoted string. In
other words,
fumble = '
#endif
';
could be misinterpreted by the definitions scanner, whereas this
would not:
fumble = '
\#endif
';
As with the double quote string, a series of these, even intermixed
with double quote strings, will be concatenated together.
2.2.4 Shell Output String
-------------------------
This is assembled according to the same rules as the double quote
string, except that there is no concatenation of strings and the
resulting string is written to a shell server process. The
definition takes on the value of the output string.
NB The text is interpreted by a server shell. There may be left over
state from previous server shell processing. This scriptlet may also
leave state for subsequent processing. However, a `cd' to the
original directory is always issued before the new command is issued.
2.2.5 An Unquoted String
------------------------
A simple string that does not contain white space may be left
unquoted. The string must not contain any of the characters special
to the definition text (i.e., `"', `#', `'', `(', `)', `,', `;', `<',
`=', `>', `[', `]', ``', `{', or `}'). This list is subject to
change, but it will never contain underscore (`_'), period (`.'),
slash (`/'), colon (`:'), hyphen (`-') or backslash (`\\').
Basically, if the string looks like it is a normal DOS or UNIX file
or variable name, and it is not one of two keywords (`autogen' or
`definitions') then it is OK to not quote it, otherwise you should.
2.2.6 Scheme Result String
--------------------------
A scheme result string must begin with an open parenthesis `('. The
scheme expression will be evaluated by Guile and the value will be
the result. The AutoGen expression functions are *dis*abled at this
stage, so do not use them.
2.2.7 A Here String
-------------------
A `here string' is formed in much the same way as a shell here doc.
It is denoted with two less than characters(`<<') and, optionally, a
hyphen. This is followed by optional horizontal white space and an
ending marker-identifier. This marker must follow the syntax rules
for identifiers. Unlike the shell version, however, you must not
quote this marker.
The resulting string will start with the first character on the next
line and continue up to but not including the newline that precedes
the line that begins with the marker token. If a hyphen follows the
less than characters, then leading tabs will be stripped and the
terminating marker will be recognized even if preceded by tabs. No
backslash or any other kind of processing is done on this string.
The characters are copied directly into the result string.
Here are two examples:
str1 = <<- STR_END
$quotes = " ' `
STR_END;
str2 = << STR_END
$quotes = " ' `
STR_END;
STR_END;
The first string contains no new line characters. The first
character is the dollar sign, the last the back quote.
The second string contains one new line character. The first
character is the tab character preceding the dollar sign. The last
character is the semicolon after the `STR_END'. That `STR_END' does
not end the string because it is not at the beginning of the line.
In the preceding case, the leading tab was stripped.
2.2.8 Concatenated Strings
--------------------------
If single or double quote characters are used, then you also have the
option, a la ANSI-C syntax, of implicitly concatenating a series of
them together, with intervening white space ignored.
NB You *cannot* use directives to alter the string content. That is,
str = "fumble"
#ifdef LATER
"stumble"
#endif
;
will result in a syntax error. The preprocessing directives are not
carried out by the C preprocessor. However,
str = '"fumble\n"
#ifdef LATER
" stumble\n"
#endif
';
*Will* work. It will enclose the `#ifdef LATER' and `#endif' in the
string. But it may also wreak havoc with the definition processing
directives. The hash characters in the first column should be
disambiguated with an escape `\' or join them with previous lines:
`"fumble\n#ifdef LATER...'.
2.3 Assigning an Index to a Definition
======================================
In AutoGen, every name is implicitly an array of values. When
assigning values, they are usually implicitly assigned to the next
highest slot. They can also be specified explicitly:
mumble[9] = stumble;
mumble[0] = grumble;
If, subsequently, you assign a value to `mumble' without an index,
its index will be `10', not `1'. If indexes are specified, they must
not cause conflicts.
`#define'-d names may also be used for index values. This is
equivalent to the above:
#define FIRST 0
#define LAST 9
mumble[LAST] = stumble;
mumble[FIRST] = grumble;
All values in a range do *not* have to be filled in. If you leave
gaps, then you will have a sparse array. This is fine (*note FOR::).
You have your choice of iterating over all the defined values, or
iterating over a range of slots. This:
[+ FOR mumble +][+ ENDFOR +]
iterates over all and only the defined entries, whereas this:
[+ FOR mumble (for-by 1) +][+ ENDFOR +]
will iterate over all 10 "slots". Your template will likely have to
contain something like this:
[+ IF (exist? (sprintf "mumble[%d]" (for-index))) +]
or else "mumble" will have to be a compound value that, say, always
contains a "grumble" value:
[+ IF (exist? "grumble") +]
2.4 Dynamic Text
================
There are several methods for including dynamic content inside a
definitions file. Three of them are mentioned above (*Note
shell-generated:: and *note scheme-generated::) in the discussion of
string formation rules. Another method uses the `#shell' processing
directive. It will be discussed in the next section (*note
Directives::). Guile/Scheme may also be used to yield to create
definitions.
When the Scheme expression is preceded by a backslash and single
quote, then the expression is expected to be an alist of names and
values that will be used to create AutoGen definitions.
This method can be be used as follows:
\'( (name (value-expression))
(name2 (another-expr)) )
This is entirely equivalent to:
name = (value-expression);
name2 = (another-expr);
Under the covers, the expression gets handed off to a Guile function
named `alist->autogen-def' in an expression that looks like this:
(alist->autogen-def
( (name (value-expression)) (name2 (another-expr)) ) )
2.5 Controlling What Gets Processed
===================================
Definition processing directives can *only* be processed if the '#'
character is the first character on a line. Also, if you want a '#'
as the first character of a line in one of your string assignments,
you should either escape it by preceding it with a backslash `\', or
by embedding it in the string as in `"\n#"'.
All of the normal C preprocessing directives are recognized, though
several are ignored. There is also an additional `#shell' -
`#endshell' pair. Another minor difference is that AutoGen
directives must have the hash character (`#') in column 1.
The final tweak is that `#!' is treated as a comment line. Using
this feature, you can use: `#! /usr/local/bin/autogen' as the first
line of a definitions file, set the mode to executable and "run" the
definitions file as if it were a direct invocation of AutoGen. This
was done for its hack value.
The ignored directives are: `#ident', `#let', `#pragma', and `#if'.
Note that when ignoring the `#if' directive, all intervening text
through its matching `#endif' is also ignored, including the `#else'
clause.
The AutoGen directives that affect the processing of definitions are:
`#assert `shell-script` | (scheme-expr) | '
If the `shell-script' or `scheme-expr' do not yield `true'
valued results, autogen will be aborted. If `' or
nothing at all is provided, then this directive is ignored.
When writing the shell script, remember this is on a
preprocessing line. Multiple lines must be backslash continued
and the result is a single long line. Separate multiple
commands with semi-colons.
The result is `false' (and fails) if the result is empty, the
number zero, or a string that starts with the letters 'n' or 'f'
("no" or "false").
`#define name [ ]'
Will add the name to the define list as if it were a DEFINE
program argument. Its value will be the first non-whitespace
token following the name. Quotes are *not* processed.
After the definitions file has been processed, any remaining
entries in the define list will be added to the environment.
`#elif'
This must follow an `#if' otherwise it will generate an error.
It will be ignored.
`#else'
This must follow an `#if', `#ifdef' or `#ifndef'. If it follows
the `#if', then it will be ignored. Otherwise, it will change
the processing state to the reverse of what it was.
`#endif'
This must follow an `#if', `#ifdef' or `#ifndef'. In all cases,
this will resume normal processing of text.
`#endmac'
This terminates a "macdef", but must not ever be encountered
directly.
`#endshell'
Ends the text processed by a command shell into autogen
definitions.
`#error [ ]'
This directive will cause AutoGen to stop processing and exit
with a status of EXIT_FAILURE.
`#if [ ]'
`#if' expressions are not analyzed. *Everything* from here to
the matching `#endif' is skipped.
`#ifdef name-to-test'
The definitions that follow, up to the matching `#endif' will be
processed only if there is a corresponding `-Dname' command line
option or if a `#define' of that name has been previously
encountered.
`#ifndef name-to-test'
The definitions that follow, up to the matching `#endif' will be
processed only if there is *not* a corresponding `-Dname'
command line option or there was a canceling `-Uname' option.
`#include unadorned-file-name'
This directive will insert definitions from another file into
the current collection. If the file name is adorned with double
quotes or angle brackets (as in a C program), then the include
is ignored.
`#line'
Alters the current line number and/or file name. You may wish to
use this directive if you extract definition source from other
files. `getdefs' uses this mechanism so AutoGen will report the
correct file and approximate line number of any errors found in
extracted definitions.
`#macdef'
This is a new AT&T research preprocessing directive. Basically,
it is a multi-line #define that may include other preprocessing
directives.
`#option opt-name [ ]'
This directive will pass the option name and associated text to
the AutoOpts optionLoadLine routine (*note
libopts-optionLoadLine::). The option text may span multiple
lines by continuing them with a backslash. The
backslash/newline pair will be replaced with two space
characters. This directive may be used to set a search path for
locating template files For example, this:
#option templ-dirs $ENVVAR/dirname
will direct autogen to use the `ENVVAR' environment variable to
find a directory named `dirname' that (may) contain templates.
Since these directories are searched in most recently supplied
first order, search directories supplied in this way will be
searched before any supplied on the command line.
`#shell'
Invokes `$SHELL' or `/bin/sh' on a script that should generate
AutoGen definitions. It does this using the same server process
that handles the back-quoted ``' text. *CAUTION* let not your
`$SHELL' be `csh'.
`#undef name-to-undefine'
Will remove any entries from the define list that match the
undef name pattern.
2.6 Pre-defined Names
=====================
When AutoGen starts, it tries to determine several names from the
operating environment and put them into environment variables for use
in both `#ifdef' tests in the definitions files and in shell scripts
with environment variable tests. `__autogen__' is always defined.
For other names, AutoGen will first try to use the POSIX version of
the `sysinfo(2)' system call. Failing that, it will try for the POSIX
`uname(2)' call. If neither is available, then only "`__autogen__'"
will be inserted into the environment. In all cases, the associated
names are converted to lower case, surrounded by doubled underscores
and non-symbol characters are replaced with underscores.
With Solaris on a sparc platform, `sysinfo(2)' is available. The
following strings are used:
* `SI_SYSNAME' (e.g., "__sunos__")
* `SI_HOSTNAME' (e.g., "__ellen__")
* `SI_ARCHITECTURE' (e.g., "__sparc__")
* `SI_HW_PROVIDER' (e.g., "__sun_microsystems__")
* `SI_PLATFORM' (e.g., "__sun_ultra_5_10__")
* `SI_MACHINE' (e.g., "__sun4u__")
For Linux and other operating systems that only support the
`uname(2)' call, AutoGen will use these values:
* `sysname' (e.g., "__linux__")
* `machine' (e.g., "__i586__")
* `nodename' (e.g., "__bach__")
By testing these pre-defines in my definitions, you can select pieces
of the definitions without resorting to writing shell scripts that
parse the output of `uname(1)'. You can also segregate real C code
from autogen definitions by testing for "`__autogen__'".
#ifdef __bach__
location = home;
#else
location = work;
#endif
2.7 Commenting Your Definitions
===============================
The definitions file may contain C and C++ style comments.
/*
* This is a comment. It continues for several lines and closes
* when the characters '*' and '/' appear together.
*/
// this comment is a single line comment
2.8 What it all looks like.
===========================
This is an extended example:
autogen definitions `template-name';
/*
* This is a comment that describes what these
* definitions are all about.
*/
global = "value for a global text definition.";
/*
* Include a standard set of definitions
*/
#include standards.def
a_block = {
a_field;
a_subblock = {
sub_name = first;
sub_field = "sub value.";
};
#ifdef FEATURE
a_subblock = {
sub_name = second;
};
#endif
};
2.9 Finite State Machine Grammar
================================
The preprocessing directives and comments are not part of the
grammar. They are handled by the scanner/lexer. The following was
extracted directly from the generated defParse-fsm.c source file.
The "EVT:" is the token seen, the "STATE:" is the current state and
the entries in this table describe the next state and the action to
take. Invalid transitions were removed from the table.
dp_trans_table[ DP_STATE_CT ][ DP_EVENT_CT ] = {
/* STATE 0: DP_ST_INIT */
{ { DP_ST_NEED_DEF, NULL }, /* EVT: autogen */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: definitions */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: End-Of-File */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: var_name */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: other_name */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: string */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: here_string */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: number */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: ; */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: = */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: , */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: { */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: } */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: [ */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid } /* EVT: ] */
/* STATE 1: DP_ST_NEED_DEF */
{ { DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: autogen */
{ DP_ST_NEED_TPL, NULL }, /* EVT: definitions */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: End-Of-File */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: var_name */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: other_name */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: string */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: here_string */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: number */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: ; */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: = */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: , */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: { */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: } */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: [ */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid } /* EVT: ] */
/* STATE 2: DP_ST_NEED_TPL */
{ { DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: autogen */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: definitions */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: End-Of-File */
{ DP_ST_NEED_SEMI, dp_do_tpl_name }, /* EVT: var_name */
{ DP_ST_NEED_SEMI, dp_do_tpl_name }, /* EVT: other_name */
{ DP_ST_NEED_SEMI, dp_do_tpl_name }, /* EVT: string */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: here_string */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: number */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: ; */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: = */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: , */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: { */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: } */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: [ */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid } /* EVT: ] */
/* STATE 3: DP_ST_NEED_SEMI */
{ { DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: autogen */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: definitions */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: End-Of-File */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: var_name */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: other_name */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: string */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: here_string */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: number */
{ DP_ST_NEED_NAME, NULL }, /* EVT: ; */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: = */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: , */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: { */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: } */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: [ */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid } /* EVT: ] */
/* STATE 4: DP_ST_NEED_NAME */
{ { DP_ST_NEED_DEF, NULL }, /* EVT: autogen */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: definitions */
{ DP_ST_DONE, dp_do_need_name_end }, /* EVT: End-Of-File */
{ DP_ST_HAVE_NAME, dp_do_need_name_var_name }, /* EVT: var_name */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: other_name */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: string */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: here_string */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: number */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: ; */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: = */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: , */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: { */
{ DP_ST_HAVE_VALUE, dp_do_end_block }, /* EVT: } */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: [ */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid } /* EVT: ] */
/* STATE 5: DP_ST_HAVE_NAME */
{ { DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: autogen */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: definitions */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: End-Of-File */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: var_name */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: other_name */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: string */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: here_string */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: number */
{ DP_ST_NEED_NAME, dp_do_empty_val }, /* EVT: ; */
{ DP_ST_NEED_VALUE, dp_do_have_name_lit_eq }, /* EVT: = */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: , */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: { */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: } */
{ DP_ST_NEED_IDX, NULL }, /* EVT: [ */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid } /* EVT: ] */
/* STATE 6: DP_ST_NEED_VALUE */
{ { DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: autogen */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: definitions */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: End-Of-File */
{ DP_ST_HAVE_VALUE, dp_do_str_value }, /* EVT: var_name */
{ DP_ST_HAVE_VALUE, dp_do_str_value }, /* EVT: other_name */
{ DP_ST_HAVE_VALUE, dp_do_str_value }, /* EVT: string */
{ DP_ST_HAVE_VALUE, dp_do_str_value }, /* EVT: here_string */
{ DP_ST_HAVE_VALUE, dp_do_str_value }, /* EVT: number */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: ; */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: = */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: , */
{ DP_ST_NEED_NAME, dp_do_start_block }, /* EVT: { */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: } */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: [ */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid } /* EVT: ] */
/* STATE 7: DP_ST_NEED_IDX */
{ { DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: autogen */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: definitions */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: End-Of-File */
{ DP_ST_NEED_CBKT, dp_do_indexed_name }, /* EVT: var_name */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: other_name */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: string */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: here_string */
{ DP_ST_NEED_CBKT, dp_do_indexed_name }, /* EVT: number */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: ; */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: = */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: , */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: { */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: } */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: [ */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid } /* EVT: ] */
/* STATE 8: DP_ST_NEED_CBKT */
{ { DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: autogen */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: definitions */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: End-Of-File */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: var_name */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: other_name */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: string */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: here_string */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: number */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: ; */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: = */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: , */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: { */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: } */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: [ */
{ DP_ST_INDX_NAME, NULL } /* EVT: ] */
/* STATE 9: DP_ST_INDX_NAME */
{ { DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: autogen */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: definitions */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: End-Of-File */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: var_name */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: other_name */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: string */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: here_string */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: number */
{ DP_ST_NEED_NAME, dp_do_empty_val }, /* EVT: ; */
{ DP_ST_NEED_VALUE, NULL }, /* EVT: = */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: , */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: { */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: } */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: [ */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid } /* EVT: ] */
/* STATE 10: DP_ST_HAVE_VALUE */
{ { DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: autogen */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: definitions */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: End-Of-File */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: var_name */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: other_name */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: string */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: here_string */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: number */
{ DP_ST_NEED_NAME, NULL }, /* EVT: ; */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: = */
{ DP_ST_NEED_VALUE, dp_do_next_val }, /* EVT: , */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: { */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: } */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid }, /* EVT: [ */
{ DP_ST_INVALID, dp_do_invalid } /* EVT: ] */
2.10 Alternate Definition Forms
===============================
There are several methods for supplying data values for templates.
`no definitions'
It is entirely possible to write a template that does not depend
upon external definitions. Such a template would likely have an
unvarying output, but be convenient nonetheless because of an
external library of either AutoGen or Scheme functions, or both.
This can be accommodated by providing the `--override-tpl' and
`--no-definitions' options on the command line. *Note autogen
Invocation::.
`CGI'
AutoGen behaves as a CGI server if the definitions input is from
stdin and the environment variable `REQUEST_METHOD' is defined
and set to either "GET" or "POST", *Note AutoGen CGI::.
Obviously, all the values are constrained to strings because
there is no way to represent nested values.
`XML'
AutoGen comes with a program named, `xml2ag'. Its output can
either be redirected to a file for later use, or the program can
be used as an AutoGen wrapper. *Note xml2ag Invocation::.
The introductory template example (*note Example Usage::) can be
rewritten in XML as follows:
A more XML-normal form might look like this:
some alpha stuffmore beta stufffinal omega stuff
but you would have to change the template `list_info' references
into `text' references.
`standard AutoGen definitions'
Of course. :-)
3 Template File
***************
The AutoGen template file defines the content of the output text. It
is composed of two parts. The first part consists of a pseudo macro
invocation and commentary. It is followed by the template proper.
This pseudo macro is special. It is used to identify the file as a
AutoGen template file, fixing the starting and ending marks for the
macro invocations in the rest of the file, specifying the list of
suffixes to be generated by the template and, optionally, the shell
to use for processing shell commands embedded in the template.
AutoGen-ing a file consists of copying text from the template to the
output file until a start macro marker is found. The text from the
start marker to the end marker constitutes the macro text. AutoGen
macros may cause sections of the template to be skipped or processed
several times. The process continues until the end of the template is
reached. The process is repeated once for each suffix specified in
the pseudo macro.
This chapter describes the format of the AutoGen template macros and
the usage of the AutoGen native macros. Users may augment these by
defining their own macros, *Note DEFINE::.
3.1 Format of the Pseudo Macro
==============================
The pseudo macro is used to tell AutoGen how to process a template.
It tells autogen:
1. The start macro marker. It consists of punctuation characters
used to demarcate the start of a macro. It may be up to seven
characters long and must be the first non-whitespace characters
in the file.
It is generally a good idea to use some sort of opening bracket
in the starting macro and closing bracket in the ending macro
(e.g. `{', `(', `[', or even `<' in the starting macro). It
helps both visually and with editors capable of finding a
balancing parenthesis.
2. That start marker must be immediately followed by the identifier
strings "AutoGen5" and then "template", though capitalization is
not important.
The next several components may be intermingled:
3. Zero, one or more suffix specifications tell AutoGen how many
times to process the template file. No suffix specifications
mean that it is to be processed once and that the generated text
is to be written to `stdout'. The current suffix for each pass
can be determined with the `(suffix)' scheme function (*note SCM
suffix::).
The suffix specification consists of a sequence of POSIX
compliant file name characters and, optionally, an equal sign
and a file name formatting specification. That specification
may be either an ordinary sequence of file name characters with
zero, one or two "%s" formatting sequences in it, or else it may
be a Scheme expression that, when evaluated, produces such a
string. The Scheme result may not be empty. The two string
arguments allowed for that string are the base name of the
definition file, and the current suffix (that being the text to
the left of the equal sign). (Note: "POSIX compliant file name
characters" consist of alphanumerics plus the period (`.'),
hyphen (`-') and underscore (`_') characters.)
If the suffix begins with one of these three latter characters
and a formatting string is not specified, then that character is
presumed to be the suffix separator. Otherwise, without a
specified format string, a single period will separate the
suffix from the base name in constructing the output file name.
4. Comments: blank lines, lines starting with a hash mark [`#']),
and edit mode comments (text between pairs of `-*-' strings).
5. Some scheme expressions may be inserted in order to make
configuration changes before template processing begins.
"`before template processing begins'" means that there is no
current output file, no current suffix and, basically, none of
the AutoGen specific functions (*note AutoGen Functions::) may
be invoked.
It is used, for example, to allow the template writer to specify
the shell program that must be used to interpret the shell
commands in the template. It can have no effect on any shell
commands in the definitions file, as that file will have been
processed by the time the pseudo macro is interpreted.
(setenv "SHELL" "/bin/sh")
This is extremely useful to ensure that the shell used is the
one the template was written to use. By default, AutoGen
determines the shell to use by user preferences. Sometimes,
that can be the "csh", though.
The scheme expression can also be used to save a pre-existing
output file for later text extraction (*note SCM extract::).
(shellf "mv -f %1$s.c %1$s.sav" (base-name))
After these must come the end macro marker:
6. The punctuation characters used to demarcate the end of a macro.
Like the start marker, it must consist of seven or fewer
punctuation characters.
The ending macro marker has a few constraints on its content. Some of
them are just advisory, though. There is no special check for
advisory restrictions.
* It must not begin with a POSIX file name character (hyphen `-',
underscore `_' or period `.'), the backslash (`\') or open
parenthesis (`('). These are used to identify a suffix
specification, indicate Scheme code and trim white space.
* If it begins with an equal sign, then it must be separated from
any suffix specification by white space.
* The closing marker may not begin with an open parenthesis, as
that is used to enclose a scheme expression.
* It cannot begin with a backslash, as that is used to indicate
white space trimming after the end macro mark. If, in the body
of the template, you put the backslash character (`\') before
the end macro mark, then any white space characters after the
mark and through the newline character are trimmed.
* It is also helpful to avoid using the comment marker (`#'). It
might be seen as a comment within the pseudo macro.
* You should avoid using any of the quote characters double,
single or back-quote. It won't confuse AutoGen, but it might
well confuse you and/or your editor.
As an example, assume we want to use `[+' and `+]' as the start and
end macro markers, and we wish to produce a `.c' and a `.h' file,
then the pseudo macro might look something like this:
[+ AutoGen5 template -*- Mode: emacs-mode-of-choice -*-
h=chk-%s.h
c
# make sure we don't use csh:
(setenv "SHELL" "/bin/sh") +]
The template proper starts after the pseudo-macro. The starting
character is either the first non-whitespace character or the first
character after the newline that follows the end macro marker.
3.2 Naming a value
==================
When an AutoGen value is specified in a template, it is specified by
name. The name may be a simple name, or a compound name of several
components. Since each named value in AutoGen is implicitly an array
of one or more values, each component may have an index associated
with it.
It looks like this:
comp-name-1 . comp-name-2 [ 2 ]
Note that if there are multiple components to a name, each component
name is separated by a dot (`.'). Indexes follow a component name,
enclosed in square brackets (`[' and `]'). The index may be either
an integer or an integer-valued define name. The first component of
the name is searched for in the current definition level. If not
found, higher levels will be searched until either a value is found,
or there are no more definition levels. Subsequent components of the
name must be found within the context of the newly-current definition
level. Also, if the named value is prefixed by a dot (`.'), then the
value search is started in the current context only. No higher
levels are searched.
If someone rewrites this, I'll incorporate it. :-)
3.3 Macro Expression Syntax
===========================
AutoGen has two types of expressions: full expressions and basic
ones. A full AutoGen expression can appear by itself, or as the
argument to certain AutoGen built-in macros: CASE, IF, ELIF, INCLUDE,
INVOKE (explicit invocation, *note INVOKE::), and WHILE. If it
appears by itself, the result is inserted into the output. If it is
an argument to one of these macros, the macro code will act on it
sensibly.
You are constrained to basic expressions only when passing arguments
to user defined macros, *Note DEFINE::.
The syntax of a full AutoGen expression is:
[[ ] ] [ [ ]]
How the expression is evaluated depends upon the presence or absence
of the apply code and value name. The "value name" is the name of an
AutoGen defined value, or not. If it does not name such a value, the
expression result is generally the empty string. All expressions
must contain either a `value-name' or a `basic-expr'.
3.3.1 Apply Code
----------------
The "apply code" selected determines the method of evaluating the
expression. There are five apply codes, including the non-use of an
apply code.
`no apply code'
This is the most common expression type. Expressions of this
sort come in three flavors:
`'
The result is the value of `value-name', if defined.
Otherwise it is the empty string.
`'
The result of the basic expression is the result of the
full expression, *Note basic expression::.
`'
If there is a defined value for `value-name', then the
`basic-expr' is evaluated. Otherwise, the result is the
empty string.
`% '
If `value-name' is defined, use `basic-expr' as a format string
for sprintf. Then, if the `basic-expr' is either a back-quoted
string or a parenthesized expression, then hand the result to the
appropriate interpreter for further evaluation. Otherwise, for
single and double quote strings, the result is the result of the
sprintf operation. Naturally, if `value-name' is not defined,
the result is the empty string.
For example, assume that `fumble' had the string value,
`stumble':
[+ % fumble `printf '%%x\\n' $%s` +]
This would cause the shell to evaluate "`printf '%x\n'
$stumble'". Assuming that the shell variable `stumble' had a
numeric value, the expression result would be that number, in
hex. Note the need for doubled percent characters and
backslashes.
`? '
Two `basic-expr'-s are required. If the `value-name' is
defined, then the first `basic-expr-1' is evaluated, otherwise
`basic-expr-2' is.
`- '
Evaluate `basic-expr' only if `value-name' is not defined.
`?% '
This combines the functions of `?' and `%'. If `value-name' is
defined, it behaves exactly like `%', above, using
`basic-expr-1'. If not defined, then `basic-expr-2' is
evaluated.
For example, assume again that `fumble' had the string value,
`stumble':
[+ ?% fumble `cat $%s` `pwd` +]
This would cause the shell to evaluate "`cat $stumble'". If
`fumble' were not defined, then the result would be the name of
our current directory.
3.3.2 Basic Expression
----------------------
A basic expression can have one of the following forms:
`'STRING''
A single quoted string. Backslashes can be used to protect
single quotes (`''), hash characters (`#'), or backslashes (`\')
in the string. All other characters of STRING are output as-is
when the single quoted string is evaluated. Backslashes are
processed before the hash character for consistency with the
definition syntax. It is needed there to avoid preprocessing
conflicts.
`"STRING"'
A double quoted string. This is a cooked text string as in C,
except that they are not concatenated with adjacent strings.
Evaluating "`STRING'" will output STRING with all backslash
sequences interpreted.
``STRING`'
A back quoted string. When this expression is evaluated, STRING
is first interpreted as a cooked string (as in `"STRING"') and
evaluated as a shell expression by the AutoGen server shell.
This expression is replaced by the `stdout' output of the shell.
`(STRING)'
A parenthesized expression. It will be passed to the Guile
interpreter for evaluation and replaced by the resulting value.
If there is a Scheme error in this expression, Guile 1.4 and
Guile 1.6 will report the template line number where the error
occurs. Guile 1.7 has lost this capability.
Additionally, other than in the `%' and `?%' expressions, the
Guile expressions may be introduced with the Guile comment
character (`;') and you may put a series of Guile expressions
within a single macro. They will be implicitly evaluated as if
they were arguments to the `(begin ...)' expression. The result
will be the result of the last Guile expression evaluated.
3.4 AutoGen Scheme Functions
============================
AutoGen uses Guile to interpret Scheme expressions within AutoGen
macros. All of the normal Guile functions are available, plus several
extensions (*note Common Functions::) have been added to augment the
repertoire of string manipulation functions and manage the state of
AutoGen processing.
This section describes those functions that are specific to AutoGen.
Please take note that these AutoGen specific functions are not loaded
and thus not made available until after the command line options have
been processed and the AutoGen definitions have been loaded. They
may, of course, be used in Scheme functions that get defined at those
times, but they cannot be invoked.
3.4.1 `ag-function?' - test for function
----------------------------------------
Usage: (ag-function? ag-name)
return SCM_BOOL_T if a specified name is a user-defined AutoGen
macro, otherwise return SCM_BOOL_F.
Arguments:
ag-name - name of AutoGen macro
3.4.2 `base-name' - base output name
------------------------------------
Usage: (base-name)
Returns a string containing the base name of the output file(s).
Generally, this is also the base name of the definitions file.
This Scheme function takes no arguments.
3.4.3 `chdir' - Change current directory
----------------------------------------
Usage: (chdir dir)
Sets the current directory for AutoGen. Shell commands will run from
this directory as well. This is a wrapper around the Guile native
function. It returns its directory name argument and fails the
program on failure.
Arguments:
dir - new directory name
3.4.4 `count' - definition count
--------------------------------
Usage: (count ag-name)
Count the number of entries for a definition. The input argument
must be a string containing the name of the AutoGen values to be
counted. If there is no value associated with the name, the result
is an SCM immediate integer value of zero.
Arguments:
ag-name - name of AutoGen value
3.4.5 `def-file' - definitions file name
----------------------------------------
Usage: (def-file)
Get the name of the definitions file. Returns the name of the source
file containing the AutoGen definitions.
This Scheme function takes no arguments.
3.4.6 `def-file-line' - get a definition file+line number
---------------------------------------------------------
Usage: (def-file-line ag-name [ msg-fmt ])
Returns the file and line number of a AutoGen defined value, using
either the default format, "from %s line %d", or else the format you
supply. For example, if you want to insert a "C" language file-line
directive, you would supply the format "# %2$d \"%1$s\"", but that is
also already supplied with the scheme variable *Note SCM
c-file-line-fmt::. You may use it thus:
(def-file-line "ag-def-name" c-file-line-fmt)
It is also safe to use the formatting string, "%2$d". AutoGen uses
an argument vector version of printf: *Note snprintfv::.
Arguments:
ag-name - name of AutoGen value
msg-fmt - Optional - formatting for line message
3.4.7 `dne' - "Do Not Edit" warning
-----------------------------------
Usage: (dne prefix [ first_prefix ] [ optpfx ])
Generate a "DO NOT EDIT" or "EDIT WITH CARE" warning string. Which
depends on whether or not the `--writable' command line option was
set. The first argument is a per-line string prefix. The optional
second argument is a prefix for the first-line and, in read-only
mode, activates the editor hints.
-*- buffer-read-only: t -*- vi: set ro:
The warning string also includes information about the template used
to construct the file and the definitions used in its instantiation.
The optional third argument is used when the first argument is
actually an invocation option and the prefix arguments get shifted.
The first argument must be, specifically, "`-d'". That is used to
signify that the date stamp should not be inserted into the output.
Arguments:
prefix - string for starting each output line
first_prefix - Optional - for the first output line
optpfx - Optional - shifted prefix
3.4.8 `error' - display message and exit
----------------------------------------
Usage: (error message)
The argument is a string that printed out as part of an error
message. The message is formed from the formatting string:
DEFINITIONS ERROR in %s line %d for %s: %s\n
The first three arguments to this format are provided by the routine
and are: The name of the template file, the line within the template
where the error was found, and the current output file name.
After displaying the message, the current output file is removed and
autogen exits with the EXIT_FAILURE error code. IF, however, the
argument begins with the number 0 (zero), or the string is the empty
string, then processing continues with the next suffix.
Arguments:
message - message to display before exiting
3.4.9 `exist?' - test for value name
------------------------------------
Usage: (exist? ag-name)
return SCM_BOOL_T iff a specified name has an AutoGen value. The
name may include indexes and/or member names. All but the last
member name must be an aggregate definition. For example:
(exist? "foo[3].bar.baz")
will yield true if all of the following is true:
There is a member value of either group or string type named `baz'
for some group value `bar' that is a member of the `foo' group with
index `3'. There may be multiple entries of `bar' within `foo', only
one needs to contain a value for `baz'.
Arguments:
ag-name - name of AutoGen value
3.4.10 `find-file' - locate a file in the search path
-----------------------------------------------------
Usage: (find-file file-name [ suffix ])
AutoGen has a search path that it uses to locate template and
definition files. This function will search the same list for
`file-name', both with and without the `.suffix', if provided.
Arguments:
file-name - name of file with text
suffix - Optional - file suffix to try, too
3.4.11 `first-for?' - detect first iteration
--------------------------------------------
Usage: (first-for? [ for_var ])
Returns SCM_BOOL_T if the named FOR loop (or, if not named, the
current innermost loop) is on the first pass through the data.
Outside of any FOR loop, it returns SCM_UNDEFINED. *Note FOR::.
Arguments:
for_var - Optional - which for loop
3.4.12 `for-by' - set iteration step
------------------------------------
Usage: (for-by by)
This function records the "step by" information for an AutoGen FOR
function. Outside of the FOR macro itself, this function will emit
an error. *Note FOR::.
Arguments:
by - the iteration increment for the AutoGen FOR macro
3.4.13 `for-from' - set initial index
-------------------------------------
Usage: (for-from from)
This function records the initial index information for an AutoGen
FOR function. Outside of the FOR macro itself, this function will
emit an error. *Note FOR::.
Arguments:
from - the initial index for the AutoGen FOR macro
3.4.14 `for-index' - get current loop index
-------------------------------------------
Usage: (for-index [ for_var ])
Returns the current index for the named FOR loop. If not named, then
the index for the innermost loop. Outside of any FOR loop, it
returns SCM_UNDEFINED. *Note FOR::.
Arguments:
for_var - Optional - which for loop
3.4.15 `for-sep' - set loop separation string
---------------------------------------------
Usage: (for-sep separator)
This function records the separation string that is to be inserted
between each iteration of an AutoGen FOR function. This is often
nothing more than a comma. Outside of the FOR macro itself, this
function will emit an error.
Arguments:
separator - the text to insert between the output of each FOR
iteration
3.4.16 `for-to' - set ending index
----------------------------------
Usage: (for-to to)
This function records the terminating value information for an
AutoGen FOR function. Outside of the FOR macro itself, this function
will emit an error. *Note FOR::.
Arguments:
to - the final index for the AutoGen FOR macro
3.4.17 `get' - get named value
------------------------------
Usage: (get ag-name [ alt-val ])
Get the first string value associated with the name. It will either
return the associated string value (if the name resolves), the
alternate value (if one is provided), or else the empty string.
Arguments:
ag-name - name of AutoGen value
alt-val - Optional - value if not present
3.4.18 `get-c-name' - get named value, mapped to C name syntax
--------------------------------------------------------------
Usage: (get-c-name ag-name)
Get the first string value associated with the name. It will either
return the associated string value (if the name resolves), the
alternate value (if one is provided), or else the empty string. The
result is passed through "string->c-name!".
Arguments:
ag-name - name of AutoGen value
3.4.19 `get-down-name' - get lower cased named value, mapped to C name syntax
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Usage: (get-down-name ag-name)
Get the first string value associated with the name. It will either
return the associated string value (if the name resolves), the
alternate value (if one is provided), or else the empty string. The
result is passed through "string->c-name!" and "string->down-case!".
Arguments:
ag-name - name of AutoGen value
3.4.20 `get-up-name' - get upper cased named value, mapped to C name syntax
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Usage: (get-up-name ag-name)
Get the first string value associated with the name. It will either
return the associated string value (if the name resolves), the
alternate value (if one is provided), or else the empty string. The
result is passed through "string->c-name!" and "string->up-case!".
Arguments:
ag-name - name of AutoGen value
3.4.21 `high-lim' - get highest value index
-------------------------------------------
Usage: (high-lim ag-name)
Returns the highest index associated with an array of definitions.
This is generally, but not necessarily, one less than the `count'
value. (The indexes may be specified, rendering a non-zero based or
sparse array of values.)
This is very useful for specifying the size of a zero-based array of
values where not all values are present. For example:
tMyStruct myVals[ [+ (+ 1 (high-lim "my-val-list")) +] ];
Arguments:
ag-name - name of AutoGen value
3.4.22 `last-for?' - detect last iteration
------------------------------------------
Usage: (last-for? [ for_var ])
Returns SCM_BOOL_T if the named FOR loop (or, if not named, the
current innermost loop) is on the last pass through the data.
Outside of any FOR loop, it returns SCM_UNDEFINED. *Note FOR::.
Arguments:
for_var - Optional - which for loop
3.4.23 `len' - get count of values
----------------------------------
Usage: (len ag-name)
If the named object is a group definition, then "len" is the same as
"count". Otherwise, if it is one or more text definitions, then it
is the sum of their string lengths. If it is a single text
definition, then it is equivalent to `(string-length (get
"ag-name"))'.
Arguments:
ag-name - name of AutoGen value
3.4.24 `low-lim' - get lowest value index
-----------------------------------------
Usage: (low-lim ag-name)
Returns the lowest index associated with an array of definitions.
Arguments:
ag-name - name of AutoGen value
3.4.25 `make-header-guard' - make self-inclusion guard
------------------------------------------------------
Usage: (make-header-guard name)
This function will create a `#ifndef'/`#define' sequence for
protecting a header from multiple evaluation. It will also set the
Scheme variable `header-file' to the name of the file being protected
and it will set `header-guard' to the name of the `#define' being
used to protect it. It is expected that this will be used as follows:
[+ (make-header-guard "group_name") +]
...
#endif /* [+ (. header-guard) +] */
#include "[+ (. header-file) +]"
The `#define' name is composed as follows:
1. The first element is the string argument and a separating
underscore.
2. That is followed by the name of the header file with illegal
characters mapped to underscores.
3. The end of the name is always, "`_GUARD'".
4. Finally, the entire string is mapped to upper case.
The final `#define' name is stored in an SCM symbol named
`header-guard'. Consequently, the concluding `#endif' for the file
should read something like:
#endif /* [+ (. header-guard) +] */
The name of the header file (the current output file) is also stored
in an SCM symbol, `header-file'. Therefore, if you are also
generating a C file that uses the previously generated header file,
you can put this into that generated file:
#include "[+ (. header-file) +]"
Obviously, if you are going to produce more than one header file from
a particular template, you will need to be careful how these SCM
symbols get handled.
Arguments:
name - header group name
3.4.26 `match-value?' - test for matching value
-----------------------------------------------
Usage: (match-value? op ag-name test-str)
This function answers the question, "Is there an AutoGen value named
`ag-name' with a value that matches the pattern `test-str' using the
match function `op'?" Return SCM_BOOL_T iff at least one occurrence
of the specified name has such a value. The operator can be any
function that takes two string arguments and yields a boolean. It is
expected that you will use one of the string matching functions
provided by AutoGen.
The value name must follow the same rules as the `ag-name' argument
for `exist?' (*note SCM exist?::).
Arguments:
op - boolean result operator
ag-name - name of AutoGen value
test-str - string to test against
3.4.27 `out-delete' - delete current output file
------------------------------------------------
Usage: (out-delete)
Remove the current output file. Cease processing the template for
the current suffix. It is an error if there are `push'-ed output
files. Use the `(error "0")' scheme function instead. *Note output
controls::.
This Scheme function takes no arguments.
3.4.28 `out-depth' - output file stack depth
--------------------------------------------
Usage: (out-depth)
Returns the depth of the output file stack. *Note output controls::.
This Scheme function takes no arguments.
3.4.29 `out-emit-suspended' - emit the text of suspended output
---------------------------------------------------------------
Usage: (out-emit-suspended suspName)
This function is equivalent to `(begin (out-resume ) (out-pop
#t))'
Arguments:
suspName - A name tag of suspended output
3.4.30 `out-line' - output file line number
-------------------------------------------
Usage: (out-line)
Returns the current line number of the output file. It rewinds and
reads the file to count newlines.
This Scheme function takes no arguments.
3.4.31 `out-move' - change name of output file
----------------------------------------------
Usage: (out-move new-name)
Rename current output file. *Note output controls::. Please note:
changing the name will not save a temporary file from being deleted.
It may, however, be used on the root output file.
Arguments:
new-name - new name for the current output file
3.4.32 `out-name' - current output file name
--------------------------------------------
Usage: (out-name)
Returns the name of the current output file. If the current file is
a temporary, unnamed file, then it will scan up the chain until a
real output file name is found. *Note output controls::.
This Scheme function takes no arguments.
3.4.33 `out-pop' - close current output file
--------------------------------------------
Usage: (out-pop [ disp ])
If there has been a `push' on the output, then close that file and go
back to the previously open file. It is an error if there has not
been a `push'. *Note output controls::.
If there is no argument, no further action is taken. Otherwise, the
argument should be `#t' and the contents of the file are returned by
the function.
Arguments:
disp - Optional - return contents of the file
3.4.34 `out-push-add' - append output to file
---------------------------------------------
Usage: (out-push-add file-name)
Identical to `push-new', except the contents are *not* purged, but
appended to. *Note output controls::.
Arguments:
file-name - name of the file to append text to
3.4.35 `out-push-new' - purge and create output file
----------------------------------------------------
Usage: (out-push-new [ file-name ])
Leave the current output file open, but purge and create a new file
that will remain open until a `pop' `delete' or `switch' closes it.
The file name is optional and, if omitted, the output will be sent to
a temporary file that will be deleted when it is closed. *Note
output controls::.
Arguments:
file-name - Optional - name of the file to create
3.4.36 `out-resume' - resume suspended output file
--------------------------------------------------
Usage: (out-resume suspName)
If there has been a suspended output, then make that output descriptor
current again. That output must have been suspended with the same tag
name given to this routine as its argument.
Arguments:
suspName - A name tag for reactivating
3.4.37 `out-suspend' - suspend current output file
--------------------------------------------------
Usage: (out-suspend suspName)
If there has been a `push' on the output, then set aside the output
descriptor for later reactiviation with `(out-resume "xxx")'. The
tag name need not reflect the name of the output file. In fact, the
output file may be an anonymous temporary file. You may also change
the tag every time you suspend output to a file, because the tag
names are forgotten as soon as the file has been "resumed".
Arguments:
suspName - A name tag for reactivating
3.4.38 `out-switch' - close and create new output
-------------------------------------------------
Usage: (out-switch file-name)
Switch output files - close current file and make the current file
pointer refer to the new file. This is equivalent to `out-pop'
followed by `out-push-new', except that you may not pop the base
level output file, but you may `switch' it. *Note output controls::.
Arguments:
file-name - name of the file to create
3.4.39 `set-option' - Set a command line option
-----------------------------------------------
Usage: (set-option opt)
The text argument must be an option name followed by any needed
option argument. Returns SCM_UNDEFINED.
Arguments:
opt - AutoGen option name + its argument
3.4.40 `set-writable' - Make the output file be writable
--------------------------------------------------------
Usage: (set-writable [ set? ])
This function will set the current output file to be writable (or
not). This is only effective if neither the `--writable' nor
`--not-writable' have been specified. This state is reset when the
current suffix's output is complete.
Arguments:
set? - Optional - boolean arg, false to make output non-writable
3.4.41 `stack' - make list of AutoGen values
--------------------------------------------
Usage: (stack ag-name)
Create a scheme list of all the strings that are associated with a
name. They must all be text values or we choke.
Arguments:
ag-name - AutoGen value name
3.4.42 `suffix' - get the current suffix
----------------------------------------
Usage: (suffix)
Returns the current active suffix (*note pseudo macro::).
This Scheme function takes no arguments.
3.4.43 `tpl-file' - get the template file name
----------------------------------------------
Usage: (tpl-file [ full_path ])
Returns the name of the current template file. If `#t' is passed in
as an argument, then the template file is hunted for in the template
search path. Otherwise, just the unadorned name.
Arguments:
full_path - Optional - include full path to file
3.4.44 `tpl-file-line' - get the template file+line number
----------------------------------------------------------
Usage: (tpl-file-line [ msg-fmt ])
Returns the file and line number of the current template macro using
either the default format, "from %s line %d", or else the format you
supply. For example, if you want to insert a "C" language file-line
directive, you would supply the format "# %2$d \"%1$s\"", but that is
also already supplied with the scheme variable *Note SCM
c-file-line-fmt::. You may use it thus:
(tpl-file-line c-file-line-fmt)
It is also safe to use the formatting string, "%2$d". AutoGen uses
an argument vector version of printf: *Note snprintfv::.
Arguments:
msg-fmt - Optional - formatting for line message
3.4.45 `autogen-version' - autogen version number
-------------------------------------------------
This is a symbol defining the current AutoGen version number string.
It was first defined in AutoGen-5.2.14. It is currently "5.9.5".
3.4.46 format file info as, "`#line nn "file"'"
-----------------------------------------------
This is a symbol that can easily be used with the functions *Note SCM
tpl-file-line::, and *Note SCM def-file-line::. These will emit C
program `#line' directives pointing to template and definitions text,
respectively.
3.5 Common Scheme Functions
===========================
This section describes a number of general purpose functions that make
the kind of string processing that AutoGen does a little easier.
Unlike the AutoGen specific functions (*note AutoGen Functions::),
these functions are available for direct use during definition load
time. The equality test (*note SCM =::) is "overloaded" to do string
equivalence comparisons. If you are looking for inequality, the
Scheme/Lisp way of spelling that is, "(not (= ...))".
3.5.1 `ag-fprintf' - format to autogen stream
---------------------------------------------
Usage: (ag-fprintf ag-diversion format [ format-arg ... ])
Format a string using arguments from the alist. Write to a specified
AutoGen diversion. That may be either a specified suspended output
stream (*note SCM out-suspend::) or an index into the output stack
(*note SCM out-push-new::). `(ag-fprintf 0 ...)' is equivalent to
`(emit (sprintf ...))', and `(ag-fprintf 1 ...)' sends output to the
most recently suspended output stream.
Arguments:
ag-diversion - AutoGen diversion name or number
format - formatting string
format-arg - Optional - list of arguments to formatting string
3.5.2 `agpl' - GNU Affero General Public License
------------------------------------------------
Usage: (agpl prog-name prefix)
Emit a string that contains the GNU Affero General Public License.
It takes two arguments: `prefix' contains the string to start each
output line, and `prog_name' contains the name of the program the
copyright is about.
Arguments:
prog-name - name of the program under the GPL
prefix - String for starting each output line
3.5.3 `bsd' - BSD Public License
--------------------------------
Usage: (bsd prog_name owner prefix)
Emit a string that contains the Free BSD Public License. It takes
three arguments: `prefix' contains the string to start each output
line. `owner' contains the copyright owner. `prog_name' contains
the name of the program the copyright is about.
Arguments:
prog_name - name of the program under the BSD
owner - Grantor of the BSD License
prefix - String for starting each output line
3.5.4 `c-string' - emit string for ANSI C
-----------------------------------------
Usage: (c-string string)
Reform a string so that, when printed, the C compiler will be able to
compile the data and construct a string that contains exactly what the
current string contains. Many non-printing characters are replaced
with escape sequences. Newlines are replaced with a backslash, an
`n', a closing quote, a newline, seven spaces and another re-opening
quote. The compiler will implicitly concatenate them. The reader
will see line breaks.
A K&R compiler will choke. Use `kr-string' for that compiler.
Arguments:
string - string to reformat
3.5.5 `emit' - emit the text for each argument
----------------------------------------------
Usage: (emit alist ...)
Walk the tree of arguments, displaying the values of displayable SCM
types.
Arguments:
alist - list of arguments to stringify and emit
3.5.6 `emit-string-table' - output a string table
-------------------------------------------------
Usage: (emit-string-table st-name)
Emit into the current output stream a `static char const' array named
`st-name' that will have `NUL' bytes between each inserted string.
Arguments:
st-name - the name of the array of characters
3.5.7 `error-source-line' - display of file & line
--------------------------------------------------
Usage: (error-source-line)
This function is only invoked just before Guile displays an error
message. It displays the file name and line number that triggered
the evaluation error. You should not need to invoke this routine
directly. Guile will do it automatically.
This Scheme function takes no arguments.
3.5.8 `extract' - extract text from another file
------------------------------------------------
Usage: (extract file-name marker-fmt [ caveat ] [ default ])
This function is used to help construct output files that may contain
text that is carried from one version of the output to the next.
The first two arguments are required, the second are optional:
* The `file-name' argument is used to name the file that contains
the demarcated text.
* The `marker-fmt' is a formatting string that is used to construct
the starting and ending demarcation strings. The sprintf
function is given the `marker-fmt' with two arguments. The
first is either "START" or "END". The second is either "DO NOT
CHANGE THIS COMMENT" or the optional `caveat' argument.
* `caveat' is presumed to be absent if it is the empty string
(`""'). If absent, "DO NOT CHANGE THIS COMMENT" is used as the
second string argument to the `marker-fmt'.
* When a `default' argument is supplied and no pre-existing text
is found, then this text will be inserted between the START and
END markers.
The resulting strings are presumed to be unique within the subject
file. As a simplified example:
[+ (extract "fname" "// %s - SOMETHING - %s" ""
"example default") +]
will result in the following text being inserted into the output:
// START - SOMETHING - DO NOT CHANGE THIS COMMENT
example default
// END - SOMETHING - DO NOT CHANGE THIS COMMENT
The "`example default'" string can then be carried forward to the
next generation of the output, *provided* the output is not named
"`fname'" and the old output is renamed to "`fname'" before
AutoGen-eration begins.
*NB:*
You can set aside previously generated source files inside the
pseudo macro with a Guile/scheme function, extract the text you
want to keep with this extract function. Just remember you
should delete it at the end, too. Here is an example from my
Finite State Machine generator:
[+ AutoGen5 Template -*- Mode: text -*-
h=%s-fsm.h c=%s-fsm.c
(shellf
"[ -f %1$s-fsm.h ] && mv -f %1$s-fsm.h .fsm.head
[ -f %1$s-fsm.c ] && mv -f %1$s-fsm.c .fsm.code" (base-name)) +]
This code will move the two previously produced output files to files
named ".fsm.head" and ".fsm.code". At the end of the 'c' output
processing, I delete them.
Arguments:
file-name - name of file with text
marker-fmt - format for marker text
caveat - Optional - warn about changing marker
default - Optional - default initial text
3.5.9 `format-arg-count' - count the args to a format
-----------------------------------------------------
Usage: (format-arg-count format)
Sometimes, it is useful to simply be able to figure out how many
arguments are required by a format string. For example, if you are
extracting a format string for the purpose of generating a macro to
invoke a printf-like function, you can run the formatting string
through this function to determine how many arguments to provide for
in the macro. e.g. for this extraction text:
/*=fumble bumble
* fmt: 'stumble %s: %d\n'
=*/
You may wish to generate a macro:
#define BUMBLE(a1,a2) printf_like(something,(a1),(a2))
You can do this by knowing that the format needs two arguments.
Arguments:
format - formatting string
3.5.10 `fprintf' - format to a file
-----------------------------------
Usage: (fprintf port format [ format-arg ... ])
Format a string using arguments from the alist. Write to a specified
port. The result will NOT appear in your output. Use this to print
information messages to a template user.
Arguments:
port - Guile-scheme output port
format - formatting string
format-arg - Optional - list of arguments to formatting string
3.5.11 `gperf' - perform a perfect hash function
------------------------------------------------
Usage: (gperf name str)
Perform the perfect hash on the input string. This is only useful if
you have previously created a gperf program with the `make-gperf'
function *Note SCM make-gperf::. The `name' you supply here must
match the name used to create the program and the string to hash must
be one of the strings supplied in the `make-gperf' string list. The
result will be a perfect hash index.
See the documentation for `gperf(1GNU)' for more details.
Arguments:
name - name of hash list
str - string to hash
3.5.12 `gperf-code' - emit the source of the generated gperf program
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Usage: (gperf-code st-name)
Returns the contents of the emitted code, suitable for inclusion in
another program. The interface contains the following elements:
`struct _index'
containg the fields: `{char const * name, int const id; };'
`_hash()'
This is the hashing function with local only scope (static).
`_find()'
This is the searching and validation function. The first
argument is the string to look up, the second is its length. It
returns a pointer to the corresponding `_index' entry.
Use this in your template as follows where "" was set to be
"`lookup'":
[+ (make-gperf "lookup" (join "\n" (stack "name_list")))
(gperf-code "lookup") +]
void my_fun(char * str) {
struct lookup_index * li = lookup_find(str, strlen(str));
if (li != NULL) printf("%s yields %d\n", str, li->idx);
Arguments:
st-name - the name of the gperf hash list
3.5.13 `gpl' - GNU General Public License
-----------------------------------------
Usage: (gpl prog-name prefix)
Emit a string that contains the GNU General Public License. It takes
two arguments: `prefix' contains the string to start each output
line, and `prog_name' contains the name of the program the copyright
is about.
Arguments:
prog-name - name of the program under the GPL
prefix - String for starting each output line
3.5.14 `hide-email' - convert eaddr to javascript
-------------------------------------------------
Usage: (hide-email display eaddr)
Hides an email address as a java scriptlett. The 'mailto:' tag and
the email address are coded bytes rather than plain text. They are
also broken up.
Arguments:
display - display text
eaddr - email address
3.5.15 `html-escape-encode' - encode html special characters
------------------------------------------------------------
Usage: (html-escape-encode str)
This function will replace replace the characters `'&'', `'<'' and
`'>'' characters with the HTML/XML escape-encoded strings (`"&"',
`"<"', and `">"', respectively).
Arguments:
str - string to make substitutions in
3.5.16 `in?' - test for string in list
--------------------------------------
Usage: (in? test-string string-list ...)
Return SCM_BOOL_T if the first argument string is found in one of the
entries in the second (list-of-strings) argument.
Arguments:
test-string - string to look for
string-list - list of strings to check
3.5.17 `join' - join string list with separator
-----------------------------------------------
Usage: (join separator list ...)
With the first argument as the separator string, joins together an
a-list of strings into one long string. The list may contain nested
lists, partly because you cannot always control that.
Arguments:
separator - string to insert between entries
list - list of strings to join
3.5.18 `kr-string' - emit string for K&R C
------------------------------------------
Usage: (kr-string string)
Reform a string so that, when printed, a K&R C compiler will be able
to compile the data and construct a string that contains exactly what
the current string contains. Many non-printing characters are
replaced with escape sequences. New-lines are replaced with a
backslash-n-backslash and newline sequence,
Arguments:
string - string to reformat
3.5.19 `lgpl' - GNU Library General Public License
--------------------------------------------------
Usage: (lgpl prog_name owner prefix)
Emit a string that contains the GNU Library General Public License.
It takes three arguments: `prefix' contains the string to start each
output line. `owner' contains the copyright owner. `prog_name'
contains the name of the program the copyright is about.
Arguments:
prog_name - name of the program under the LGPL
owner - Grantor of the LGPL
prefix - String for starting each output line
3.5.20 `license' - an arbitrary license
---------------------------------------
Usage: (license lic_name prog_name owner prefix)
Emit a string that contains the named license. The license text is
read from a file named, `lic_name'.lic, searching the standard
directories. The file contents are used as a format argument to
`printf'(3), with `prog_name' and `owner' as the two string
formatting arguments. Each output line is automatically prefixed
with the string `prefix'.
Arguments:
lic_name - file name of the license
prog_name - name of the licensed program or library
owner - Grantor of the License
prefix - String for starting each output line
3.5.21 `make-gperf' - build a perfect hash function program
-----------------------------------------------------------
Usage: (make-gperf name strings ...)
Build a program to perform perfect hashes of a known list of input
strings. This function produces no output, but prepares a program
named, `gperf_' for use by the gperf function *Note SCM gperf::.
This program will be obliterated as AutoGen exits. However, you may
incorporate the generated hashing function into your C program with
commands something like the following:
[+ (shellf "sed '/^int main(/,$d;/^#line/d' ${gpdir}/%s.c"
name ) +]
where `name' matches the name provided to this `make-perf' function.
`gpdir' is the variable used to store the name of the temporary
directory used to stash all the files.
Arguments:
name - name of hash list
strings - list of strings to hash
3.5.22 `makefile-script' - create makefile script
-------------------------------------------------
Usage: (makefile-script text)
This function will take ordinary shell script text and reformat it so
that it will work properly inside of a makefile shell script. Not
every shell construct can be supported; the intent is to have most
ordinary scripts work without much, if any, alteration.
The following transformations are performed on the source text:
1. Trailing whitespace on each line is stripped.
2. Except for the last line, the string, " ; \\" is appended to the
end of every line that does not end with a backslash, semi-colon,
conjunction operator or pipe. Note that this will mutilate
multi-line quoted strings, but `make' renders it impossible to
use multi-line constructs anyway.
3. If the line ends with a backslash, it is left alone.
4. If the line ends with one of the excepted operators, then a
space and backslash is added.
5. The dollar sign character is doubled, unless it immediately
precedes an opening parenthesis or the single character make
macros '*', '<', '@', '?' or '%'. Other single character make
macros that do not have enclosing parentheses will fail. For
shell usage of the "$@", "$?" and "$*" macros, you must enclose
them with curly braces, e.g., "${?}". The ksh construct
`$()' will not work. Though some `make's accept
`${var}' constructs, this function will assume it is for shell
interpretation and double the dollar character. You must use
`$(var)' for all `make' substitutions.
6. Double dollar signs are replaced by four before the next
character is examined.
7. Every line is prefixed with a tab, unless the first line already
starts with a tab.
8. The newline character on the last line, if present, is
suppressed.
9. Blank lines are stripped.
This function is intended to be used approximately as follows:
$(TARGET) : $(DEPENDENCIES)
<+ (out-push-new) +>
....mostly arbitrary shell script text....
<+ (makefile-script (out-pop #t)) +>
Arguments:
text - the text of the script
3.5.23 `max' - maximum value in list
------------------------------------
Usage: (max list ...)
Return the maximum value in the list
Arguments:
list - list of values. Strings are converted to numbers
3.5.24 `min' - minimum value in list
------------------------------------
Usage: (min list ...)
Return the minimum value in the list
Arguments:
list - list of values. Strings are converted to numbers
3.5.25 `prefix' - prefix lines with a string
--------------------------------------------
Usage: (prefix prefix text)
Prefix every line in the second string with the first string.
For example, if the first string is "# " and the second contains:
two
lines
The result string will contain:
# two
# lines
Arguments:
prefix - string to insert at start of each line
text - multi-line block of text
3.5.26 `printf' - format to stdout
----------------------------------
Usage: (printf format [ format-arg ... ])
Format a string using arguments from the alist. Write to the
standard out port. The result will NOT appear in your output. Use
this to print information messages to a template user. Use "(sprintf
...)" to add text to your document.
Arguments:
format - formatting string
format-arg - Optional - list of arguments to formatting string
3.5.27 `raw-shell-str' - single quote shell string
--------------------------------------------------
Usage: (raw-shell-str string)
Convert the text of the string into a singly quoted string that a
normal shell will process into the original string. (It will not do
macro expansion later, either.) Contained single quotes become
tripled, with the middle quote escaped with a backslash. Normal
shells will reconstitute the original string.
*Notice*: some shells will not correctly handle unusual non-printing
characters. This routine works for most reasonably conventional
ASCII strings.
Arguments:
string - string to transform
3.5.28 `shell' - invoke a shell script
--------------------------------------
Usage: (shell command)
Generate a string by writing the value to a server shell and reading
the output back in. The template programmer is responsible for
ensuring that it completes within 10 seconds. If it does not, the
server will be killed, the output tossed and a new server started.
Arguments:
command - shell command - the result value is stdout
3.5.29 `shell-str' - double quote shell string
----------------------------------------------
Usage: (shell-str string)
Convert the text of the string into a double quoted string that a
normal shell will process into the original string, almost. It will
add the escape character `\\' before two special characters to
accomplish this: the backslash `\\' and double quote `"'.
*NOTE*: some shells will not correctly handle unusual non-printing
characters. This routine works for most reasonably conventional
ASCII strings.
*WARNING*:
This function omits the extra backslash in front of a backslash,
however, if it is followed by either a backquote or a dollar sign.
It must do this because otherwise it would be impossible to protect
the dollar sign or backquote from shell evaluation. Consequently, it
is not possible to render the strings "\\$" or "\\`". The lesser of
two evils.
All others characters are copied directly into the output.
The `sub-shell-str' variation of this routine behaves identically,
except that the extra backslash is omitted in front of `"' instead of
``'. You have to think about it. I'm open to suggestions.
Meanwhile, the best way to document is with a detailed output example.
If the backslashes make it through the text processing correctly,
below you will see what happens with three example strings. The first
example string contains a list of quoted `foo's, the second is the
same with a single backslash before the quote characters and the last
is with two backslash escapes. Below each is the result of the
`raw-shell-str', `shell-str' and `sub-shell-str' functions.
foo[0] ''foo'' 'foo' "foo" `foo` $foo
raw-shell-str -> \'\''foo'\'\'' '\''foo'\'' "foo" `foo` $foo'
shell-str -> "''foo'' 'foo' \"foo\" `foo` $foo"
sub-shell-str -> `''foo'' 'foo' "foo" \`foo\` $foo`
foo[1] \'bar\' \"bar\" \`bar\` \$bar
raw-shell-str -> '\'\''bar\'\'' \"bar\" \`bar\` \$bar'
shell-str -> "\\'bar\\' \\\"bar\\\" \`bar\` \$bar"
sub-shell-str -> `\\'bar\\' \"bar\" \\\`bar\\\` \$bar`
foo[2] \\'BAZ\\' \\"BAZ\\" \\`BAZ\\` \\$BAZ
raw-shell-str -> '\\'\''BAZ\\'\'' \\"BAZ\\" \\`BAZ\\` \\$BAZ'
shell-str -> "\\\\'BAZ\\\\' \\\\\"BAZ\\\\\" \\\`BAZ\\\` \\\$BAZ"
sub-shell-str -> `\\\\'BAZ\\\\' \\\"BAZ\\\" \\\\\`BAZ\\\\\` \\\$BAZ`
There should be four, three, five and three backslashes for the four
examples on the last line, respectively. The next to last line should
have four, five, three and three backslashes. If this was not
accurately reproduced, take a look at the agen5/test/shell.test test.
Notice the backslashes in front of the dollar signs. It goes from
zero to one to three for the "cooked" string examples.
Arguments:
string - string to transform
3.5.30 `shellf' - format a string, run shell
--------------------------------------------
Usage: (shellf format [ format-arg ... ])
Format a string using arguments from the alist, then send the result
to the shell for interpretation.
Arguments:
format - formatting string
format-arg - Optional - list of arguments to formatting string
3.5.31 `sprintf' - format a string
----------------------------------
Usage: (sprintf format [ format-arg ... ])
Format a string using arguments from the alist.
Arguments:
format - formatting string
format-arg - Optional - list of arguments to formatting string
3.5.32 `string-capitalize' - capitalize a new string
----------------------------------------------------
Usage: (string-capitalize str)
Create a new SCM string containing the same text as the original,
only all the first letter of each word is upper cased and all other
letters are made lower case.
Arguments:
str - input string
3.5.33 `string-capitalize!' - capitalize a string
-------------------------------------------------
Usage: (string-capitalize! str)
capitalize all the words in an SCM string.
Arguments:
str - input/output string
3.5.34 `string-contains-eqv?' - caseless substring
--------------------------------------------------
Usage: (*=* text match)
string-contains-eqv?: Test to see if a string contains an equivalent
string. `equivalent' means the strings match, but without regard to
character case and certain characters are considered `equivalent'.
Viz., '-', '_' and '^' are equivalent.
Arguments:
text - text to test for pattern
match - pattern/substring to search for
3.5.35 `string-contains?' - substring match
-------------------------------------------
Usage: (*==* text match)
string-contains?: Test to see if a string contains a substring.
"strstr(3)" will find an address.
Arguments:
text - text to test for pattern
match - pattern/substring to search for
3.5.36 `string-downcase' - lower case a new string
--------------------------------------------------
Usage: (string-downcase str)
Create a new SCM string containing the same text as the original,
only all the upper case letters are changed to lower case.
Arguments:
str - input string
3.5.37 `string-downcase!' - make a string be lower case
-------------------------------------------------------
Usage: (string-downcase! str)
Change to lower case all the characters in an SCM string.
Arguments:
str - input/output string
3.5.38 `string-end-eqv-match?' - caseless regex ending
------------------------------------------------------
Usage: (*~ text match)
string-end-eqv-match?: Test to see if a string ends with a pattern.
Case is not significant.
Arguments:
text - text to test for pattern
match - pattern/substring to search for
3.5.39 `string-end-match?' - regex match end
--------------------------------------------
Usage: (*~~ text match)
string-end-match?: Test to see if a string ends with a pattern.
Case is significant.
Arguments:
text - text to test for pattern
match - pattern/substring to search for
3.5.40 `string-ends-eqv?' - caseless string ending
--------------------------------------------------
Usage: (*= text match)
string-ends-eqv?: Test to see if a string ends with an equivalent
string.
Arguments:
text - text to test for pattern
match - pattern/substring to search for
3.5.41 `string-ends-with?' - string ending
------------------------------------------
Usage: (*== text match)
string-ends-with?: Test to see if a string ends with a substring.
strcmp(3) returns zero for comparing the string ends.
Arguments:
text - text to test for pattern
match - pattern/substring to search for
3.5.42 `string-equals?' - string matching
-----------------------------------------
Usage: (== text match)
string-equals?: Test to see if two strings exactly match.
Arguments:
text - text to test for pattern
match - pattern/substring to search for
3.5.43 `string-eqv-match?' - caseless regex match
-------------------------------------------------
Usage: (~ text match)
string-eqv-match?: Test to see if a string fully matches a pattern.
Case is not significant, but any character equivalences must be
expressed in your regular expression.
Arguments:
text - text to test for pattern
match - pattern/substring to search for
3.5.44 `string-eqv?' - caseless string match
--------------------------------------------
Usage: (= text match)
string-eqv?: Test to see if two strings are equivalent.
`equivalent' means the strings match, but without regard to character
case and certain characters are considered `equivalent'. Viz., '-',
'_' and '^' are equivalent. If the arguments are not strings, then
the result of the numeric comparison is returned.
This is an overloaded operation. If the arguments are not both
strings, then the query is passed through to `scm_num_eq_p()'.
Arguments:
text - text to test for pattern
match - pattern/substring to search for
3.5.45 `string-has-eqv-match?' - caseless regex contains
--------------------------------------------------------
Usage: (*~* text match)
string-has-eqv-match?: Test to see if a string contains a pattern.
Case is not significant.
Arguments:
text - text to test for pattern
match - pattern/substring to search for
3.5.46 `string-has-match?' - contained regex match
--------------------------------------------------
Usage: (*~~* text match)
string-has-match?: Test to see if a string contains a pattern. Case
is significant.
Arguments:
text - text to test for pattern
match - pattern/substring to search for
3.5.47 `string-match?' - regex match
------------------------------------
Usage: (~~ text match)
string-match?: Test to see if a string fully matches a pattern.
Case is significant.
Arguments:
text - text to test for pattern
match - pattern/substring to search for
3.5.48 `string-start-eqv-match?' - caseless regex start
-------------------------------------------------------
Usage: (~* text match)
string-start-eqv-match?: Test to see if a string starts with a
pattern. Case is not significant.
Arguments:
text - text to test for pattern
match - pattern/substring to search for
3.5.49 `string-start-match?' - regex match start
------------------------------------------------
Usage: (~~* text match)
string-start-match?: Test to see if a string starts with a pattern.
Case is significant.
Arguments:
text - text to test for pattern
match - pattern/substring to search for
3.5.50 `string-starts-eqv?' - caseless string start
---------------------------------------------------
Usage: (=* text match)
string-starts-eqv?: Test to see if a string starts with an
equivalent string.
Arguments:
text - text to test for pattern
match - pattern/substring to search for
3.5.51 `string-starts-with?' - string starting
----------------------------------------------
Usage: (==* text match)
string-starts-with?: Test to see if a string starts with a substring.
Arguments:
text - text to test for pattern
match - pattern/substring to search for
3.5.52 `string-substitute' - multiple global replacements
---------------------------------------------------------
Usage: (string-substitute source match repl)
`match' and `repl' may be either a single string or a list of
strings. Either way, they must have the same structure and number of
elements. For example, to replace all less than and all greater than
characters, do something like this:
(string-substitute source
("&" "<" ">")
("&" "<" ">"))
Arguments:
source - string to transform
match - substring or substring list to be replaced
repl - replacement strings or substrings
3.5.53 `string-table-add' - Add an entry to a string table
----------------------------------------------------------
Usage: (string-table-add st-name str-val)
Check for a duplicate string and, if none, then insert a new string
into the string table. In all cases, returns the character index of
the beginning of the string in the table.
The returned index can be used in expressions like:
string_array +
that will yield the address of the first byte of the inserted string.
See the `strtable.test' AutoGen test for a usage example.
Arguments:
st-name - the name of the array of characters
str-val - the (possibly) new value to add
3.5.54 `string-table-add-ref' - Add an entry to a string table, get reference
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Usage: (string-table-add-ref st-name str-val)
Identical to string-table-add, except the value returned is the
string "st-name" '+' and the index returned by string-table-add.
Arguments:
st-name - the name of the array of characters
str-val - the (possibly) new value to add
3.5.55 `string-table-new' - create a string table
-------------------------------------------------
Usage: (string-table-new st-name)
This function will create an array of characters. The companion
functions, (*Note SCM string-table-add::, and *note SCM
emit-string-table::) will insert text and emit the populated table,
respectively.
With these functions, it should be much easier to construct structures
containing string offsets instead of string pointers. That can be
very useful when transmitting, storing or sharing data with different
address spaces.
Here is a brief example copied from the strtable.test test:
[+ (string-table-new "scribble")
(out-push-new)
(define ix 0)
(define ct 1) +][+
FOR str IN that was the week that was +][+
(set! ct (+ ct 1))
(set! ix (string-table-add "scribble" (get "str")))
+]
scribble + [+ (. ix) +],[+
ENDFOR +]
NULL };
[+ (out-suspend "main")
(emit-string-table "scribble")
(ag-fprintf 0 "\nchar const *ap[%d] = {" ct)
(out-resume "main")
(out-pop #t) +]
Some explanation:
I added the `(out-push-new)' because the string table text is
diverted into an output stream named, "scribble" and I want to have
the string table emitted before the string table references. The
string table references are also emitted inside the `FOR' loop. So,
when the loop is done, the current output is suspended under the
name, "main" and the "scribble" table is then emitted into the
primary output. (`emit-string-table' inserts its output directly
into the current output stream. It does not need to be the last
function in an AutoGen macro block.) Next I `ag-fprintf' the
array-of-pointer declaration directly into the current output.
Finally I restore the "main" output stream and `(out-pop #t)'-it into
the main output stream.
Here is the result. Note that duplicate strings are not repeated in
the string table:
static char const scribble[18] =
"that\0" "was\0" "the\0" "week\0";
char const *ap[7] = {
scribble + 0,
scribble + 5,
scribble + 9,
scribble + 13,
scribble + 0,
scribble + 5,
NULL };
These functions use the global name space `stt-*' in addition to the
function names.
Arguments:
st-name - the name of the array of characters
3.5.56 `string-table-size' - print the current size of a string table
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Usage: (string-table-size st-name)
Returns the current byte count of the string table.
Arguments:
st-name - the name of the array of characters
3.5.57 `string->c-name!' - map non-name chars to underscore
-----------------------------------------------------------
Usage: (string->c-name! str)
Change all the graphic characters that are invalid in a C name token
into underscores. Whitespace characters are ignored. Any other
character type (i.e. non-graphic and non-white) will cause a failure.
Arguments:
str - input/output string
3.5.58 `string-tr' - convert characters with new result
-------------------------------------------------------
Usage: (string-tr source match translation)
This is identical to `string-tr!', except that it does not over-write
the previous value.
Arguments:
source - string to transform
match - characters to be converted
translation - conversion list
3.5.59 `string-tr!' - convert characters
----------------------------------------
Usage: (string-tr! source match translation)
This is the same as the `tr(1)' program, except the string to
transform is the first argument. The second and third arguments are
used to construct mapping arrays for the transformation of the first
argument.
It is too bad this little program has so many different and
incompatible implementations!
Arguments:
source - string to transform
match - characters to be converted
translation - conversion list
3.5.60 `string-upcase' - upper case a new string
------------------------------------------------
Usage: (string-upcase str)
Create a new SCM string containing the same text as the original,
only all the lower case letters are changed to upper case.
Arguments:
str - input string
3.5.61 `string-upcase!' - make a string be upper case
-----------------------------------------------------
Usage: (string-upcase! str)
Change to upper case all the characters in an SCM string.
Arguments:
str - input/output string
3.5.62 `sub-shell-str' - back quoted (sub-)shell string
-------------------------------------------------------
Usage: (sub-shell-str string)
This function is substantially identical to `shell-str', except that
the quoting character is ``' and the "leave the escape alone"
character is `"'.
Arguments:
string - string to transform
3.5.63 `sum' - sum of values in list
------------------------------------
Usage: (sum list ...)
Compute the sum of the list of expressions.
Arguments:
list - list of values. Strings are converted to numbers
3.5.64 `version-compare' - compare two version numbers
------------------------------------------------------
Usage: (version-compare op v1 v2)
Converts v1 and v2 strings into 64 bit values and returns the result
of running 'op' on those values. It assumes that the version is a 1
to 4 part dot-separated series of numbers. Suffixes like, "5pre4" or
"5-pre4" will be interpreted as two numbers. The first number ("5"
in this case) will be decremented and the number after the "pre" will
be added to 0xC000. (Unless your platform is unable to support 64
bit integer arithmetic. Then it will be added to 0xC0.)
Consequently, these yield true:
(version-compare > "5.8.5" "5.8.5-pre4")
(version-compare > "5.8.5-pre10" "5.8.5-pre4")
Arguments:
op - comparison operator
v1 - first version
v2 - compared-to version
3.6 AutoGen Native Macros
=========================
This section describes the various AutoGen natively defined macros.
Unlike the Scheme functions, some of these macros are "block macros"
with a scope that extends through a terminating macro. Block macros
must not overlap. That is to say, a block macro started within the
scope of an encompassing block macro must have its matching end macro
appear before the encompassing block macro is either ended or
subdivided.
The block macros are these:
`CASE'
This macro has scope through the `ESAC' macro. The scope is
subdivided by `SELECT' macros. You must have at least one
`SELECT' macro.
`DEFINE'
This macro has scope through the `ENDDEF' macro. The defined
user macro can never be a block macro. This macro is extracted
from the template before the template is processed.
Consequently, you cannot select a definition based on context.
You can, however, place them all at the end of the file.
`FOR'
This macro has scope through the `ENDFOR' macro.
`IF'
This macro has scope through the `ENDIF' macro. The scope may
be subdivided by `ELIF' and `ELSE' macros. Obviously, there may
be only one `ELSE' macro and it must be the last of these
subdivisions.
`INCLUDE'
This macro has the scope of the included file. It is a block
macro in the sense that the included file must not contain any
incomplete block macros.
`WHILE'
This macro has scope through the `ENDWHILE' macro.
3.6.1 AutoGen Macro Syntax
--------------------------
The general syntax is:
[ { | } ] [ ... ]
The syntax for `' depends on the particular macro, but is
generally a full expression (*note expression syntax::). Here are
the exceptions to that general rule:
1. `INVOKE' macros, implicit or explicit, must be followed by a
list of name/string value pairs. The string values are simple
expressions, as described above.
That is, the `INVOKE' syntax is one of these two:
[ [ = ] ... ]
INVOKE [ [ = ] ... ]
2. AutoGen FOR macros must be in one of three forms:
FOR [ ]
FOR (...Scheme expression list)
FOR IN [ ... ]
where:
`'
must be a simple name.
`'
is inserted between copies of the enclosed block. Do not
try to use "IN" as your separator string. It won't work.
`'
is an entry in a list of strings. "`'" is assigned
each value from the "`IN'" list before expanding the `FOR'
block.
`(...Scheme expression list)'
is expected to contain one or more of the `for-from',
`for-to', `for-by', and `for-sep' functions. (*Note FOR::,
and *Note AutoGen Functions::)
The first two forms iterate over the `FOR' block if `' is
found in the AutoGen values. The last form will create the
AutoGen value named `'.
3. AutoGen `DEFINE' macros must be followed by a simple name.
Anything after that is ignored. Consequently, that "comment
space" may be used to document any named values the macro
expects to have set up as arguments. *Note DEFINE::.
4. The AutoGen `COMMENT', `ELSE', `ESAC' and the `END*' macros take
no arguments and ignore everything after the macro name (e.g.
see *Note COMMENT::)
3.6.2 CASE - Select one of several template blocks
--------------------------------------------------
The arguments are evaluated and converted to a string, if necessary.
A simple name will be interpreted as an AutoGen value name and its
value will be used by the `SELECT' macros (see the example below and
the expression evaluation function, *note EXPR::). The scope of the
macro is up to the matching `ESAC' macro. Within the scope of a
`CASE', this string is matched against case selection macros. There
are sixteen match macros that are derived from four different ways
matches may be performed, plus an "always true", "true if the AutoGen
value was found", and "true if no AutoGen value was found" matches.
The codes for the nineteen match macros are formed as follows:
1. Must the match start matching from the beginning of the string?
If not, then the match macro code starts with an asterisk (`*').
2. Must the match finish matching at the end of the string? If
not, then the match macro code ends with an asterisk (`*').
3. Is the match a pattern match or a string comparison? If a
comparison, use an equal sign (`='). If a pattern match, use a
tilde (`~').
4. Is the match case sensitive? If alphabetic case is important,
double the tilde or equal sign.
5. Do you need a default match when none of the others match? Use
a single asterisk (`*').
6. Do you need to distinguish between an empty string value and a
value that was not found? Use the non-existence test (`!E')
before testing a full match against an empty string (`== ''').
There is also an existence test (`+E'), more for symmetry than
for practical use.
For example:
[+ CASE +]
[+ ~~* "[Tt]est" +]reg exp must match at start, not at end
[+ == "TeSt" +]a full-string, case sensitive compare
[+ = "TEST" +]a full-string, case insensitive compare
[+ !E +]not exists - matches if no AutoGen value found
[+ == "" +]expression yielded a zero-length string
[+ +E +]exists - matches if there is any value result
[+ * +]always match - no testing
[+ ESAC +]
`' (*note expression syntax::) may be any expression,
including the use of apply-codes and value-names. If the expression
yields a number, it is converted to a decimal string.
These case selection codes have also been implemented as Scheme
expression functions using the same codes. They are documented in
this texi doc as "string-*?" predicates (*note Common Functions::).
3.6.3 COMMENT - A block of comment to be ignored
------------------------------------------------
This function can be specified by the user, but there will never be a
situation where it will be invoked at emit time. The macro is
actually removed from the internal representation.
If the native macro name code is `#', then the entire macro function
is treated as a comment and ignored.
[+ # say what you want, but no '+' before any ']' chars +]
3.6.4 DEBUG - Print debug message to trace output
-------------------------------------------------
If the tracing level is at "debug-message" or above (*note autogen
trace::), this macro prints a debug message to trace output. This
message is not evaluated. This macro can also be used to set useful
debugger breakpoints. By inserting [+DEBUG n+] into your template,
you can set a debugger breakpoint on the #n case element below (in
the AutoGen source) and step through the processing of interesting
parts of your template.
To be useful, you have to have access to the source tree where autogen
was built and the template being processed. The definitions are also
helpful, but not crucial. Please contact the author if you think you
might actually want to use this.
3.6.5 DEFINE - Define a user AutoGen macro
------------------------------------------
This function will define a new macro. You must provide a name for
the macro. You do not specify any arguments, though the invocation
may specify a set of name/value pairs that are to be active during the
processing of the macro.
[+ define foo +]
... macro body with macro functions ...
[+ enddef +]
... [+ foo bar='raw text' baz=<> +]
Once the macro has been defined, this new macro can be invoked by
specifying the macro name as the first token after the start macro
marker. Alternatively, you may make the invocation explicitly invoke
a defined macro by specifying `INVOKE' (*note INVOKE::) in the macro
invocation. If you do that, the macro name can be computed with an
expression that gets evaluated every time the INVOKE macro is
encountered.
Any remaining text in the macro invocation will be used to create new
name/value pairs that only persist for the duration of the processing
of the macro. The expressions are evaluated the same way basic
expressions are evaluated. *Note expression syntax::.
The resulting definitions are handled much like regular definitions,
except:
1. The values may not be compound. That is, they may not contain
nested name/value pairs.
2. The bindings go away when the macro is complete.
3. The name/value pairs are separated by whitespace instead of
semi-colons.
4. Sequences of strings are not concatenated.
*NB:* The macro is extracted from the template as the template is
scanned. You cannot conditionally define a macro by enclosing
it in an `IF'/`ENDIF' (*note IF::) macro pair. If you need to
dynamically select the format of a `DEFINE'd macro, then put the
flavors into separate template files that simply define macros.
`INCLUDE' (*note INCLUDE::) the appropriate template when you
have computed which you need.
Due to this, it is acceptable and even a good idea to place all the
`DEFINE' macros at the end of the template. That puts the main body
of the template at the beginning of the file.
3.6.6 ELIF - Alternate Conditional Template Block
-------------------------------------------------
This macro must only appear after an `IF' function, and before any
associated `ELSE' or `ENDIF' functions. It denotes the start of an
alternate template block for the `IF' function. Its expression
argument is evaluated as are the arguments to `IF'. For a complete
description *Note IF::.
3.6.7 ELSE - Alternate Template Block
-------------------------------------
This macro must only appear after an `IF' function, and before the
associated `ENDIF' function. It denotes the start of an alternate
template block for the `IF' function. For a complete description
*Note IF::.
3.6.8 ENDDEF - Ends a macro definition.
---------------------------------------
This macro ends the `DEFINE' function template block. For a complete
description *Note DEFINE::.
3.6.9 ENDFOR - Terminates the `FOR' function template block
-----------------------------------------------------------
This macro ends the `FOR' function template block. For a complete
description *Note FOR::.
3.6.10 ENDIF - Terminate the `IF' Template Block
------------------------------------------------
This macro ends the `IF' function template block. For a complete
description *Note IF::.
3.6.11 ENDWHILE - Terminate the `WHILE' Template Block
------------------------------------------------------
This macro ends the `WHILE' function template block. For a complete
description *Note WHILE::.
3.6.12 ESAC - Terminate the `CASE' Template Block
-------------------------------------------------
This macro ends the `CASE' function template block. For a complete
description, *Note CASE::.
3.6.13 EXPR - Evaluate and emit an Expression
---------------------------------------------
This macro does not have a name to cause it to be invoked explicitly,
though if a macro starts with one of the apply codes or one of the
simple expression markers, then an expression macro is inferred. The
result of the expression evaluation (*note expression syntax::) is
written to the current output.
3.6.14 FOR - Emit a template block multiple times
-------------------------------------------------
This macro has a slight variation on the standard syntax:
FOR [ ]
FOR (...Scheme expression list)
FOR IN "string" [ ... ]
Other than for the last form, the first macro argument must be the
name of an AutoGen value. If there is no value associated with the
name, the `FOR' template block is skipped entirely. The scope of the
`FOR' macro extends to the corresponding `ENDFOR' macro. The last
form will create an array of string values named `' that
only exists within the context of this `FOR' loop. With this form,
in order to use a `separator-string', you must code it into the end
of the template block using the `(last-for?)' predicate function
(*note SCM last-for?::).
If there are any arguments after the `value-name', the initial
characters are used to determine the form. If the first character is
either a semi-colon (`;') or an opening parenthesis (`('), then it is
presumed to be a Scheme expression containing the FOR macro specific
functions `for-from', `for-by', `for-to', and/or `for-sep'. *Note
AutoGen Functions::. If it consists of an '`i'' an '`n'' and
separated by white space from more text, then the `FOR x IN' form is
processed. Otherwise, the remaining text is presumed to be a string
for inserting between each iteration of the loop. This string will
be emitted one time less than the number of iterations of the loop.
That is, it is emitted after each loop, excepting for the last
iteration.
If the from/by/to functions are invoked, they will specify which
copies of the named value are to be processed. If there is no copy
of the named value associated with a particular index, the `FOR'
template block will be instantiated anyway. The template must use
methods for detecting missing definitions and emitting default text.
In this fashion, you can insert entries from a sparse or non-zero
based array into a dense, zero based array.
*NB:* the `for-from', `for-to', `for-by' and `for-sep' functions are
disabled outside of the context of the `FOR' macro. Likewise, the
`first-for', `last-for' and `for-index' functions are disabled
outside of the range of a `FOR' block.
*Also:* the `' must be a single level name, not a
compound name (*note naming values::).
[+FOR var (for-from 0) (for-to ) (for-sep ",") +]
... text with `var'ious substitutions ...[+
ENDFOR var+]
this will repeat the `... text with `var'ious substitutions ...'
+1 times. Each repetition, except for the last, will have a
comma `,' after it.
[+FOR var ",\n" +]
... text with `var'ious substitutions ...[+
ENDFOR var +]
This will do the same thing, but only for the index values of `var'
that have actually been defined.
3.6.15 IF - Conditionally Emit a Template Block
-----------------------------------------------
Conditional block. Its arguments are evaluated (*note EXPR::) and if
the result is non-zero or a string with one or more bytes, then the
condition is true and the text from that point until a matched
`ELIF', `ELSE' or `ENDIF' is emitted. `ELIF' introduces a
conditional alternative if the `IF' clause evaluated FALSE and `ELSE'
introduces an unconditional alternative.
[+IF +]
emit things that are for the true condition[+
ELIF +]
emit things that are true maybe[+
ELSE "This may be a comment" +]
emit this if all but else fails[+
ENDIF "This may *also* be a comment" +]
`' may be any expression described in the `EXPR'
expression function, including the use of apply-codes and
value-names. If the expression yields an empty string, it is
interpreted as false.
3.6.16 INCLUDE - Read in and emit a template block
--------------------------------------------------
The entire contents of the named file is inserted at this point. The
contents of the file are processed for macro expansion. The
arguments are eval-ed, so you may compute the name of the file to be
included. The included file must not contain any incomplete function
blocks. Function blocks are template text beginning with any of the
macro functions `CASE', `DEFINE', `FOR', `IF' and `WHILE'; extending
through their respective terminating macro functions.
3.6.17 INVOKE - Invoke a User Defined Macro
-------------------------------------------
User defined macros may be invoked explicitly or implicitly. If you
invoke one implicitly, the macro must begin with the name of the
defined macro. Consequently, this may *not* be a computed value. If
you explicitly invoke a user defined macro, the macro begins with the
macro name `INVOKE' followed by a basic expression that must yield a
known user defined macro. A macro name _must_ be found, or AutoGen
will issue a diagnostic and exit.
Arguments are passed to the invoked macro by name. The text
following the macro name must consist of a series of names each of
which is followed by an equal sign (`=') and a basic expression that
yields a string.
The string values may contain template macros that are parsed the
first time the macro is processed and evaluated again every time the
macro is evaluated.
3.6.18 SELECT - Selection block for CASE function
-------------------------------------------------
This macro selects a block of text by matching an expression against
the sample text expression evaluated in the `CASE' macro. *Note
CASE::.
You do not specify a `SELECT' macro with the word "select". Instead,
you must use one of the 19 match operators described in the `CASE'
macro description.
3.6.19 UNKNOWN - Either a user macro or a value name.
-----------------------------------------------------
The macro text has started with a name not known to AutoGen. If, at
run time, it turns out to be the name of a defined macro, then that
macro is invoked. If it is not, then it is a conditional expression
that is evaluated only if the name is defined at the time the macro
is invoked.
You may not specify `UNKNOWN' explicitly.
3.6.20 WHILE - Conditionally loop over a Template Block
-------------------------------------------------------
Conditionally repeated block. Its arguments are evaluated (*note
EXPR::) and as long as the result is non-zero or a string with one or
more bytes, then the condition is true and the text from that point
until a matched `ENDWHILE' is emitted.
[+WHILE +]
emit things that are for the true condition[+
ENDWHILE +]
`' may be any expression described in the `EXPR'
expression function, including the use of apply-codes and
value-names. If the expression yields an empty string, it is
interpreted as false.
3.7 Redirecting Output
======================
AutoGen provides a means for redirecting the template output to
different files or, in `M4' parlance, to various diversions. It is
accomplished by providing a set of Scheme functions named `out-*'
(*note AutoGen Functions::).
`out-push-new (*note SCM out-push-new::)'
This allows you to logically "push" output files onto a stack.
If you supply a string name, then a file by that name is created
to hold the output. If you do not supply a name, then the text
is written to a scratch pad and retrieved by passing a "`#t'"
argument to the `out-pop' (*note SCM out-pop::) function.
`out-pop (*note SCM out-pop::)'
This function closes the current output file and resumes output
to the next one in the stack. At least one output must have
been pushed onto the output stack with the `out-push-new' (*note
SCM out-push-new::) function. If "`#t'" is passed in as an
argument, then the entire contents of the diversion (or file) is
returned.
`out-suspend (*note SCM out-suspend::)'
This function does not close the current output, but instead
sets it aside for resumption by the given name with
`out-resume'. The current output must have been pushed on the
output queue with `out-push-new' (*note SCM out-push-new::).
`out-resume (*note SCM out-resume::)'
This will put a named file descriptor back onto the top of stack
so that it becomes the current output again.
`out-switch (*note SCM out-switch::)'
This closes the current output and creates a new file, purging
any preexisting one. This is a shortcut for "pop" followed by
"push", but this can also be done at the base level.
`out-move (*note SCM out-move::)'
Renames the current output file without closing it.
There are also several functions for determining the output status.
*Note AutoGen Functions::.
4 Augmenting AutoGen Features
*****************************
AutoGen was designed to be simple to enhance. You can do it by
providing shell commands, Guile/Scheme macros or callout functions
that can be invoked as a Guile macro. Here is how you do these.
4.1 Shell Output Commands
=========================
Shell commands are run inside of a server process. This means that,
unlike `make', context is kept from one command to the next.
Consequently, you can define a shell function in one place inside of
your template and invoke it in another. You may also store values in
shell variables for later reference. If you load functions from a
file containing shell functions, they will remain until AutoGen exits.
If your shell script should determine that AutoGen should stop
processing, the recommended method for stopping AutoGen is:
die "some error text"
That is a shell function added by AutoGen. It will send a SIGTERM to
autogen and exit from the "persistent" shell.
4.2 Guile Macros
================
Guile also maintains context from one command to the next. This
means you may define functions and variables in one place and
reference them elsewhere. You also may load Guile macro definitions
from a Scheme file by using the `--load-scheme' command line option
(*note autogen load-scheme::). Beware, however, that the AutoGen
specific scheme functions have not been loaded at this time, so
though you may define functions that reference them, do not invoke
the AutoGen functions at this time.
If your Scheme script should determine that AutoGen should stop
processing, the recommended method for stopping AutoGen is:
(error "some error text")
4.3 Guile Callout Functions
===========================
Callout functions must be registered with Guile to work. This can be
accomplished either by putting your routines into a shared library
that contains a `void scm_init( void )' routine that registers these
routines, or by building them into AutoGen.
To build them into AutoGen, you must place your routines in the source
directory and name the files `exp*.c'. You also must have a stylized
comment that `getdefs' can find that conforms to the following:
/*=gfunc
*
* what:
* general_use:
* string:
* exparg: , [, ['optional'] [, 'list']]
* doc: A long description telling people how to use
* this function.
=*/
SCM
ag_scm_( SCM arg_name[, ...] )
{ }
`gfunc'
You must have this exactly thus.
`'
This must follow C syntax for variable names
`'
This should be about a half a line long. It is used as a
subsection title in this document.
`general_use:'
You must supply this unless you are an AutoGen maintainer and
are writing a function that queries or modifies the state of
AutoGen.
`'
Normally, the `function-name' string will be transformed into a
reasonable invocation name. However, that is not always true.
If the result does not suit your needs, then supply an alternate
string.
`exparg:'
You must supply one for each argument to your function. All
optional arguments must be last. The last of the optional
arguments may be a list, if you choose.
`doc:'
Please say something meaningful.
`[, ...]'
Do not actually specify an ANSI ellipsis here. You must provide
for all the arguments you specified with `exparg'.
See the Guile documentation for more details. More information is
also available in a large comment at the beginning of the
`agen5/snarf.tpl' template file.
4.4 AutoGen Macros
==================
There are two kinds those you define yourself and AutoGen native.
The user-defined macros may be defined in your templates or loaded
with the `--lib-template' option (See *Note DEFINE:: and *Note
autogen lib-template::).
As for AutoGen native macros, do not add any. It is easy to do, but I
won't like it. The basic functions needed to accomplish looping over
and selecting blocks of text have proved to be sufficient over a
period of several years. New text transformations can be easily
added via any of the AutoGen extension methods, as discussed above.
5 Invoking autogen
******************
AutoGen creates text files from templates using external definitions.
The definitions file (`') can be specified with the
`definitions' option or as the command argument, but not both.
Omitting it or specifying `-' will result in reading definitions from
standard input.
The output file names are based on the template, but generally use the
base name of the definition file. If standard in is read for the
definitions, then `stdin' will be used for that base name. The
suffixes to the base name are gotten from the template. However, the
template file may specify the entire output file name. The generated
files are always created in the current directory. If you need to
place output in an alternate directory, `cd' to that directory and use
the `-templ_dirs' option to search the original directory.
`loop-limit' is used in debugging to stop runaway expansions.
This chapter was generated by *AutoGen*, the aginfo template and the
option descriptions for the `autogen' program. It documents the
autogen usage text and option meanings.
This software is released under the GNU General Public License.
5.1 autogen usage help (-?)
===========================
This is the automatically generated usage text for autogen:
autogen (GNU AutoGen) - The Automated Program Generator - Ver. 5.9.5
USAGE: autogen [ - [] | --[{=| }] ]... [ ]
Flg Arg Option-Name Description
-L Str templ-dirs Template search directory list
- may appear multiple times
-T Str override-tpl Override template file
- may not be preset
-l Str lib-template Library template file
- may appear multiple times
-b Str base-name Base name for output file(s)
- may not be preset
Str definitions Definitions input file
- disabled as --no-definitions
- enabled by default
- may not be preset
-S Str load-scheme Scheme code file to load
-F Str load-functions Load scheme function library
-s Str skip-suffix Omit the file with this suffix
- may not be preset
- may appear multiple times
-o opt select-suffix specify this output suffix
- may not be preset
- may appear multiple times
no source-time set mod times to latest source
- disabled as --no-source-time
-m no no-fmemopen Do not use in-mem streams
Str equate characters considered equivalent
no writable Allow output files to be writable
- disabled as --not-writable
- may not be preset
The following options are often useful while debugging new templates:
Flg Arg Option-Name Description
Num loop-limit Limit on increment loops
is scalable with a suffix: k/K/m/M/g/G/t/T
it must lie in one of the ranges:
-1 exactly, or
1 to 16777216
-t Num timeout Time limit for servers
it must lie in the range: 0 to 3600
KWd trace tracing level of detail
Str trace-out tracing output file or filter
These options can be used to control what gets processed
in the definitions files and template files.
Flg Arg Option-Name Description
-D Str define name to add to definition list
- may appear multiple times
-U Str undefine definition list removal pattern
- an alternate for define
version and help options:
Flg Arg Option-Name Description
-v opt version Output version information and exit
-? no help Display usage information and exit
-! no more-help Extended usage information passed thru pager
-u no usage Abbreviated usage to stdout
-> opt save-opts Save the option state to a config file
-< Str load-opts Load options from a config file
- disabled as --no-load-opts
- may appear multiple times
Options are specified by doubled hyphens and their name
or by a single hyphen and the flag character.
AutoGen creates text files from templates using external definitions.
The following option preset mechanisms are supported:
- reading file /dev/null
- reading file /home/bkorb/ag/ag/agen5/.autogenrc
- examining environment variables named AUTOGEN_*
The valid "trace" option keywords are:
nothing debug-message server-shell templates block-macros
expressions everything
or an integer between 0 and 6
The definitions file (`') can be specified with the
`definitions' option or as the command argument, but not both.
Omitting it or specifying `-' will result in reading definitions from
standard input.
The output file names are based on the template, but generally use the
base name of the definition file. If standard in is read for the
definitions, then `stdin' will be used for that base name. The
suffixes to the base name are gotten from the template. However, the
template file may specify the entire output file name. The generated
files are always created in the current directory. If you need to
place output in an alternate directory, `cd' to that directory and use
the `--templ_dirs' option to search the original directory.
`loop-limit' is used in debugging to stop runaway expansions.
please send bug reports to: autogen-users@lists.sourceforge.net
5.2 templ-dirs option (-L)
==========================
This is the "template search directory list" option.
This option has some usage constraints. It:
* may appear an unlimited number of times.
Add a directory to the list of directories to search when opening a
template, either as the primary template or an included one. The
last entry has the highest priority in the search list. That is to
say, they are searched in reverse order.
5.3 override-tpl option (-T)
============================
This is the "override template file" option.
This option has some usage constraints. It:
* may not be preset with environment variables or in
initialization (rc) files.
Definition files specify the standard template that is to be expanded.
This option will override that name and expand a different template.
5.4 lib-template option (-l)
============================
This is the "library template file" option.
This option has some usage constraints. It:
* may appear an unlimited number of times.
DEFINE macros are saved from this template file for use in processing
the main macro file. Template text aside from the DEFINE macros is
is ignored.
5.5 base-name option (-b)
=========================
This is the "base name for output file(s)" option.
This option has some usage constraints. It:
* may not be preset with environment variables or in
initialization (rc) files.
A template may specify the exact name of the output file. Normally,
it does not. Instead, the name is composed of the base name of the
definitions file with suffixes appended. This option will override
the base name derived from the definitions file name. This is
required if there is no definitions file and advisable if definitions
are being read from stdin. If the definitions are being read from
standard in, the base name defaults to `stdin'. Any leading
directory components in the name will be silently removed. If you
wish the output file to appear in a particular directory, it is
recommended that you "cd" into that directory first, or use directory
names in the format specification for the output suffix lists, *Note
pseudo macro::.
5.6 definitions option
======================
This is the "definitions input file" option.
This option has some usage constraints. It:
* is enabled by default.
* may not be preset with environment variables or in
initialization (rc) files.
Use this argument to specify the input definitions file with a
command line option. If you do not specify this option, then there
must be a command line argument that specifies the file, even if only
to specify stdin with a hyphen (`-'). Specify, `--no-definitions'
when you wish to process a template without any active AutoGen
definitions.\n
5.7 load-scheme option (-S)
===========================
This is the "scheme code file to load" option. Use this option to
pre-load Scheme scripts into the Guile interpreter before template
processing begins. Please note that the AutoGen specific functions
are not loaded until after argument processing. So, though they may
be specified in lambda functions you define, they may not be invoked
until after option processing is complete.
5.8 load-functions option (-F)
==============================
This is the "load scheme function library" option.
This option has some usage constraints. It:
* must be compiled in by defining `HAVE_DLOPEN' during the
compilation.
This option is used to load Guile-scheme functions. The automatically
called initialization routine `scm_init' must be used to register
these routines or data. This routine can be generated by using the
following command and the `snarf.tpl' template. Read the introductory
comment in `snarf.tpl' to see what the `getdefs(1AG)' comment must
contain.
First, create a config file for `getdefs', and then invoke `getdefs'
loading that file:
cat > getdefs.cfg <>
Note, however, that your functions must be named:
name_of_some_group_scm_<>(...)
so you may wish to use a shorter group name.
5.9 skip-suffix option (-s)
===========================
This is the "omit the file with this suffix" option.
This option has some usage constraints. It:
* may appear an unlimited number of times.
* may not be preset with environment variables or in
initialization (rc) files.
Occasionally, it may not be desirable to produce all of the output
files specified in the template. (For example, only the `.h' header
file, but not the `.c' program text.) To do this specify
`--skip-suffix=c' on the command line.
5.10 select-suffix option (-o)
==============================
This is the "specify this output suffix" option.
This option has some usage constraints. It:
* may appear an unlimited number of times.
* may not be preset with environment variables or in
initialization (rc) files.
If you wish to override the suffix specifications in the template,
you can use one or more copies of this option. See the suffix
specification in the *Note pseudo macro:: section of the info doc.
5.11 source-time option
=======================
This is the "set mod times to latest source" option. If you stamp
your output files with the `DNE' macro output, then your output files
will always be different, even if the content has not really changed.
If you use this option, then the modification time of the output
files will change only if the input files change. This will help
reduce unneeded builds.
5.12 no-fmemopen option (-m)
============================
This is the "do not use in-mem streams" option.
This option has some usage constraints. It:
* must be compiled in by defining `ENABLE_FMEMOPEN' during the
compilation.
If the local C library supports "`fopencookie(3GNU)'", or
"`funopen(3BSD)'" then AutoGen prefers to use in-memory stream buffer
opens instead of anonymous files. This may lead to problems if there
is a shortage of virtual memory. If, for a particular application,
you run out of memory, then specify this option. This is unlikely in
a modern virtual memory environment.
5.13 equate option
==================
This is the "characters considered equivalent" option. This option
will alter the list of characters considered equivalent. The default
are the three characters, "_-^". (The last is conventional on a
Tandem/HP-NonStop, and I used to do a lot of work on Tandems.)
5.14 writable option
====================
This is the "allow output files to be writable" option.
This option has some usage constraints. It:
* may not be preset with environment variables or in
initialization (rc) files.
This option will leave output files writable. Normally, output files
are read-only.
5.15 loop-limit option
======================
This is the "limit on increment loops" option. This option prevents
runaway loops. For example, if you accidentally specify, "FOR x
(for-from 1) (for-to -1) (for-by 1)", it will take a long time to
finish. If you do have more than 256 entries in tables, you will
need to specify a new limit with this option.
5.16 timeout option (-t)
========================
This is the "time limit for servers" option.
This option has some usage constraints. It:
* must be compiled in by defining `SHELL_ENABLED' during the
compilation.
AutoGen works with a shell server process. Most normal commands will
complete in less than 10 seconds. If, however, your commands need
more time than this, use this option.
The valid range is 0 to 3600 seconds (1 hour). Zero will disable the
server time limit.
5.17 trace option
=================
This is the "tracing level of detail" option.
This option has some usage constraints. It:
* This option takes a keyword as its argument. The argument sets
an enumeration value that can be tested by comparing the option
value macro (OPT_VALUE_TRACE). The available keywords are:
nothing debug-message server-shell
templates block-macros expressions
everything
This option will cause AutoGen to display a trace of its template
processing. There are six levels, each level including messages from
the previous levels:
`nothing'
Does no tracing at all (default)
`debug-message'
Print messages from the "DEBUG" AutoGen macro (*note DEBUG::).
`server-shell'
Traces all input and output to the server shell. This includes
a shell "independent" initialization script about 30 lines long.
Its output is discarded and not inserted into any template.
`templates'
Traces the invocation of `DEFINE'd macros and `INCLUDE's
`block-macros'
Traces all block macros. The above, plus `IF', `FOR', `CASE'
and `WHILE'.
`expressions'
Displays the results of expression evaluations.
`everything'
Displays the invocation of every AutoGen macro, even `TEXT'
macros (i.e. the text outside of macro quotes). Additionally,
if you rebuild the "expr.ini" file with debugging enabled, then
all calls to AutoGen defined scheme functions will also get
logged:
cd ${top_builddir}/agen5
DEBUG_ENABLED=true bash bootstrap.dir expr.ini
make CFLAGS='-g -DDEBUG_ENABLED=1'
Be aware tha tyou cannot rebuild this source in this way without
first having installed the `autogen' executable in your search
path. Because of this, "expr.ini" is in the distributed source
list, and not in the dependencies.
5.18 trace-out option
=====================
This is the "tracing output file or filter" option. The output
specified may be either a file name, or, if the option argument
begins with the `pipe' operator (`|'), a command that will receive
the tracing output as standard in. For example, `--traceout='|
less'' will run the trace output through the `less' program.
5.19 show-defs option
=====================
This is the "show the definition tree" option.
This option has some usage constraints. It:
* must be compiled in by defining `DEBUG_ENABLED' during the
compilation.
* may not be preset with environment variables or in
initialization (rc) files.
This will print out the complete definition tree before processing
the template.
5.20 define option (-D)
=======================
This is the "name to add to definition list" option.
This option has some usage constraints. It:
* may appear an unlimited number of times.
The AutoGen define names are used for the following purposes:
1. Sections of the AutoGen definitions may be enabled or disabled
by using C-style #ifdef and #ifndef directives.
2. When defining a value for a name, you may specify the index for
a particular value. That index may be a literal value, a define
option or a value #define-d in the definitions themselves.
3. The name of a file may be prefixed with `$NAME/'. The `$NAME'
part of the name string will be replaced with the define-d value
for `NAME'.
4. When AutoGen is finished loading the definitions, the defined
values are exported to the environment with, `putenv(3)'. These
values can then be used in shell scripts with `${NAME}'
references and in templates with `(getenv "NAME")'.
5. While processing a template, you may specify an index to retrieve
a specific value. That index may also be a define-d value.
5.21 undefine option (-U)
=========================
This is the "definition list removal pattern" option.
This option has some usage constraints. It:
* may appear an unlimited number of times.
* may not be preset with environment variables or in
initialization (rc) files.
Just like 'C', AutoGen uses `#ifdef/#ifndef' preprocessing
directives. This option will cause the matching names to be removed
from the list of defined values.
6 Configuring and Installing
****************************
6.1 Configuring AutoGen
=======================
AutoGen is configured and built using Libtool, Automake and Autoconf.
Consequently, you can install it wherever you wish using the various
`--prefix' options. To the various configuration options supplied by
these tools, AutoGen adds a few of its own:
`--disable-shell'
AutoGen is now capable of acting as a CGI forms server, *Note
AutoGen CGI::. As such, it will gather its definitions using
either `GET' or `POST' methods. All you need to do is have a
template named `cgi.tpl' handy or specify a different one with a
command line option.
However, doing this without disabling the server shell brings
considerable risk. If you were to pass user input to a script
that contained, say, the classic "``rm -rf /`'", you might have
a problem. This configuration option will cause shell template
commands to simply return the command string as the result. No
mistakes. Much safer. Strongly recommended. The default is to
have server shell scripting enabled.
Disabling the shell will have some build side effects, too.
* Many of the make check tests will fail, since they assume a
working server shell.
* The getdefs and columns programs are not built. The
options are distributed as definition files and they cannot
be expanded with a shell-disabled AutoGen.
* Similarly, the documentation cannot be regenerated because
the documentation templates depend on subshell
functionality.
`--enable-debug'
Turning on AutoGen debugging enables very detailed inspection of
the input definitions and monitoring shell script processing.
These options are not particularly useful to anyone not directly
involved in maintaining AutoGen. If you do choose to enable
AutoGen debugging, be aware that the usage page was generated
without these options, so when the build process reaches the
documentation rebuild, there will be a failure. `cd' into the
`agen5' build directory, `make' the `autogen.texi' file and all
will be well thereafter.
`--with-regex-header'
`--with-header-path'
`--with-regex-lib'
These three work together to specify how to compile with and
link to a particular POSIX regular expression library. The
value for `--with-regex-header=value' must be the name of the
relevant header file. The AutoGen sources will attempt to
include that source with a `#include ' C preprocessing
statement. The `path' from the `--with-header-path=path' will
be added to `CPPFLAGS' as `-Ipath'. The `lib-specs' from
`--with-regex-lib=lib-specs' will be added to `LDFLAGS' without
any adornment.
6.2 AutoGen as a CGI server
===========================
AutoGen is now capable of acting as a CGI forms server. It behaves
as a CGI server if the definitions input is from stdin and the
environment variable `REQUEST_METHOD' is defined and set to either
"GET" or "POST". If set to anything else, AutoGen will exit with a
failure message. When set to one of those values, the CGI data will
be converted to AutoGen definitions (*note Definitions File::) and
the template named "`cgi.tpl'" will be processed.
This works by including the name of the real template to process in
the form data and having the "`cgi.tpl'" template include that
template for processing. I do this for processing the form
`http://autogen.sourceforge.net/conftest.html'. The "`cgi.tpl'"
looks approximately like this:
AutoGen5 Template ?>
IF (not (exist? "template")) ?>
form-error ?>
ELIF (=* (get "template") "/") ?>
form-error ?>
ELIF (define tpl-file (string-append "cgi-tpl/"
(get "template")))
(access? tpl-file R_OK) ?>
INCLUDE (. tpl-file) ?>
ELIF (set! tpl-file (string-append tpl-file ".tpl"))
(access? tpl-file R_OK) ?>
INCLUDE (. tpl-file) ?>
ELSE ?>
form-error ?>
ENDIF ?>
This forces the template to be found in the "`cgi-tpl/'" directory.
Note also that there is no suffix specified in the pseudo macro
(*note pseudo macro::). That tells AutoGen to emit the output to
`stdout'.
The output is actually spooled until it is complete so that, in the
case of an error, the output can be discarded and a proper error
message can be written in its stead.
*Please also note* that it is advisable, _especially_ for network
accessible machines, to configure AutoGen (*note configuring::) with
shell processing disabled (`--disable-shell'). That will make it
impossible for any referenced template to hand data to a subshell for
interpretation.
6.3 Signal Names
================
When AutoGen is first built, it tries to use `psignal(3)',
`sys_siglist', `strsigno(3)' and `strsignal(3)' from the host
operating system. If your system does not supply these, the AutoGen
distribution will. However, it will use the distributed mapping and
this mapping is unlikely to match what your system uses. This can be
fixed. Once you have installed autogen, the mapping can be rebuilt
on the host operating system. To do so, you must perform the
following steps:
1. Build and install AutoGen in a place where it will be found in
your search path.
2. `cd ${top_srcdir}/compat'
3. `autogen strsignal.def'
4. Verify the results by examining the `strsignal.h' file produced.
5. Re-build and re-install AutoGen.
If you have any problems or peculiarities that cause this process to
fail on your platform, please send me copies of the header files
containing the signal names and numbers, along with the full path
names of these files. I will endeavor to fix it. There is a shell
script inside of `strsignal.def' that tries to hunt down the
information.
6.4 Installing AutoGen
======================
There are several files that get installed. The number depend
whether or not both shared and archive libraries are to be installed.
The following assumes that everything is installed relative to
`$prefix'. You can, of course, use `configure' to place these files
where you wish.
*NB* AutoGen does not contain any compiled-in path names. All
support directories are located via option processing, the
environment variable `HOME' or finding the directory where the
executable came from.
The installed files are:
1. The executables in `bin' (autogen, getdefs and columns).
2. The AutoOpts link libraries as `lib/libopts.*'.
3. An include file in `include/options.h', needed for Automated
Option Processing (see next chapter).
4. Several template files and a scheme script in `share/autogen',
needed for Automated Option Processing (*note AutoOpts::),
parsing definitions written with scheme syntax (*note Dynamic
Text::), the templates for producing documentation for your
program (*note documentation attributes::), autoconf test
macros, and AutoFSM.
5. Info-style help files as `info/autogen.info*'. These files
document AutoGen, the option processing library AutoOpts, and
several add-on components.
6. The three man pages for the three executables are installed in
man/man1.
This program, library and supporting files can be installed with
three commands:
* /configure [ ]
* make
* make install
However, you may wish to insert `make check' before the `make
install' command.
If you do perform a `make check' and there are any failures, you will
find the results in `/test/FAILURES'. Needless to say, I
would be interested in seeing the contents of those files and any
associated messages. If you choose to go on and analyze one of these
failures, you will need to invoke the test scripts individually. You
may do so by specifying the test (or list of test) in the TESTS make
variable, thus:
gmake TESTS=test-name.test check
I specify `gmake' because most makes will not let you override
internal definitions with command line arguments. `gmake' does.
All of the AutoGen tests are written to honor the contents of the
VERBOSE environment variable. Normally, any commentary generated
during a test run is discarded unless the VERBOSE environment
variable is set. So, to see what is happening during the test, you
might invoke the following with bash or ksh:
VERBOSE=1 gmake TESTS="for.test forcomma.test" check
Or equivalently with csh:
env VERBOSE=1 gmake TESTS="for.test forcomma.test" check
7 Automated Option Processing
*****************************
AutoOpts 31.1 is bundled with AutoGen. It is a tool that virtually
eliminates the hassle of processing options and keeping man pages,
info docs and usage text up to date. This package allows you to
specify several program attributes, up to a hundred option types and
many option attributes. From this, it then produces all the code
necessary to parse and handle the command line and configuration file
options, and the documentation that should go with your program as
well. All the features notwithstanding, some applications simply have
well-established command line interfaces. Even still, those programs
may use the configuration file parsing portion of the library. See
the "AutoOpts Features" and "Configuration File Format" sections.
7.1 AutoOpts Features
=====================
AutoOpts supports option processing; option state saving; and program
documentation with innumerable features. Here, we list a few obvious
ones and some important ones, but the full list is really defined by
all the attributes defined in the *Note Option Definitions:: section.
1. POSIX-compliant short (flag) option processing.
2. GNU-style long options processing. Long options are recognized
without case sensitivity, and they may be abbreviated.
3. Environment variable initializations, *Note environrc::.
4. Initialization from configuration files (aka RC or INI files),
and saving the option state back into one, *Note loading
rcfile::.
5. Config files may be partitioned. One config file may be used by
several programs by partitioning it with lines containing,
"`[PROGRAM_NAME]'" or "`'", *Note loading
rcfile::.
6. Options may be marked as `dis-abled' with a disablement prefix.
Such options may default to either an enabled or a disabled
state. You may also provide an enablement prefix, too, e.g.,
`--allow-mumble' and `--prevent-mumble' (*note Common
Attributes::).
7. Verify that required options are present between the minimum and
maximum number of times on the command line. Verify that
conflicting options do not appear together. Verify that options
requiring the presence of other options are, in fact, used in
the presence of other options. See *Note Common Attributes::,
and *Note Option Conflict Attributes::.
8. There are several *Note automatically supported options:
automatic options. They will have short flags if any options
have option flags and the flags are not suppressed. The
associated flag may be altered or suppressed by specifying no
value or an alternate character for "`xxx-value;'" in the option
definition file. "`xxx'" is the name of the option below:
`--help'
`--more-help'
These are always available. "`more-help'" will pass the
full usage text through a pager.
`--usage'
This is added to the option list if "`usage-opt'" is
specified. It yields the abbreviated usage to `stdout'.
`--version'
This is added to the option list if "`version = xxx;'" is
specified.
`--load-opts'
`--save-opts'
These are added to the option list if "`homerc'" is
specified.
9. Various forms of main procedures can be added to the output,
*Note Generated main::. There are four basic forms:
a. A program that processes the arguments and writes to
standard out portable shell commands containing the
digested options.
b. A program that will generate portable shell commands to
parse the defined options. The expectation is that this
result will be copied into a shell script and used there.
c. A "for-each" main that will invoke a named function once
for either each non-option argument on the command line or,
if there are none, then once for each non-blank,
non-comment input line read from stdin.
d. A main procedure of your own design. Its code can be
supplied in the option description template or by
incorporating another template.
10. There are several methods for handling option arguments.
* nothing (*note OPT_ARG::) option argument strings are
globally available.
* user supplied (*note Option Argument Handling::)
* stack option arguments (*note Option Argument Handling::)
* integer numbers (*note arg-type number::)
* true or false valued (*note arg-type boolean::)
* enumerated list of names (*note arg-type keyword::)
* an enumeration (membership) set (*note arg-type set
membership::)
* a list of name/value pairs (option "subopts") (*note
arg-type hierarchy::)
* validated file name (*note arg-type file name::)
* optional option argument (*note arg-optional::)
11. The generated usage text can be emitted in either AutoOpts
standard format (maximizing the information about each option),
or GNU-ish normal form. The default form is selected by either
specifying or not specifying the `gnu-usage' attribute (*note
information attributes::). This can be overridden by the user
himself with the `AUTOOPTS_USAGE' environment variable. If it
exists and is set to the string `gnu', it will force GNU-ish
style format; if it is set to the string `autoopts', it will
force AutoOpts standard format; otherwise, it will have no
effect.
12. If you compile with `ENABLE_NLS' defined and `_()' defined to a
localization function such as `gettext(3GNU)', then the option
processing code will be localizable (*note i18n::).
13. Provides a callable routine to parse a text string as if it were
from one of the rc/ini/config files, hereafter referred to as a
configuration file.
14. By adding a `doc' and `arg-name' attributes to each option,
AutoGen will also be able to produce a man page and the
`invoking' section of a texinfo document.
15. Intermingled option processing. AutoOpts options may be
intermingled with command line operands and options processed
with other parsing techniques. This is accomplished by setting
the `allow-errors' (*note program attributes::) attribute. When
processing reaches a point where `optionProcess' (*note
libopts-optionProcess::) needs to be called again, the current
option can be set with `RESTART_OPT(n)' (*note RESTART_OPT::)
before calling `optionProcess'.
See: *Note library attributes::.
16. Library suppliers can specify command line options that their
client programs will accept. They specify option definitions
that get `#include'-d into the client option definitions and
they specify an "anchor" option that has a callback and must be
invoked. That will give the library access to the option state
for their options.
17. library options. An AutoOpt-ed library may export its options
for use in an AutoOpt-ed program. This is done by providing an
option definition file that client programs `#include' into
their own option definitions. See "AutoOpt-ed Library for
AutoOpt-ed Program" (*note lib and program::) for more details.
18. Insert the option processing state into Scheme-defined variables.
Thus, Guile based applications that are linked with private
`main()' routines can take advantage of all of AutoOpts'
functionality.
7.2 AutoOpts Licensing
======================
When AutoGen is installed, the AutoOpts project is installed with it.
AutoOpts includes various AutoGen templates and a pair of shared
libraries. These libraries may be used under the terms of version 3
of the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL).
One of these libraries (`libopts') is needed by programs that are
built using AutoOpts generated code. This library is available as a
separate "tear-off" source tarball. It is redistributable for use
under either of two licenses: The above mentioned GNU Lesser General
Public License, and the advertising-clause-free BSD license. Both of
these license terms are incorporated into appropriate COPYING files
included with the `libopts' source tarball. This source may be
incorporated into your package with the following simple commands:
rm -rf libopts libopts-*
gunzip -c `autoopts-config libsrc` | \
tar -xvf -
mv libopts-*.*.* libopts
View the `libopts/README' file for further integration information.
7.3 Quick Start
===============
Since it is generally easier to start with a simple example than it is
to look at the options that AutoGen uses itself, here is a very simple
AutoOpts example. You can copy this example out of the Info file and
into a source file to try it. You can then embellish it into what you
really need. For more extensive examples, you can also examine the
help output and option definitions for the commands `columns',
`getdefs' and `autogen' itself.
For our simple example, assume you have a program named `check' that
takes two options:
1. A list of directories to check over for whatever it is `check'
does. You want this option available as a POSIX-style flag
option and a GNU long option. You want to allow as many of these
as the user wishes.
2. An option to show or not show the definition tree being used.
Only one occurrence is to be allowed, specifying one or the
other.
First, specify your program attributes and its options to AutoOpts,
as with the following example.
AutoGen Definitions options;
prog-name = check;
prog-title = "Checkout Automated Options";
long-opts;
main = { main-type = shell-process; };
flag = {
name = check-dirs;
value = L; /* flag style option character */
arg-type = string; /* option argument indication */
max = NOLIMIT; /* occurrence limit (none) */
stack-arg; /* save opt args in a stack */
descrip = "Checkout directory list";
};
flag = {
name = show_defs;
descrip = "Show the definition tree";
disable = dont; /* mark as enable/disable type */
/* option. Disable as `dont-' */
};
Then perform the following steps:
1. `cflags="-DTEST_CHECK_OPTS `autoopts-config cflags`"'
2. `ldflags="`autoopts-config ldflags`"'
3. `autogen checkopt.def'
4. `cc -o check -g ${cflags} checkopt.c ${ldflags}'
5. `./check --help'
Running those commands yields:
check - Checkout Automated Options
USAGE: check [ - [] | --[{=| }] ]...
Flg Arg Option-Name Description
-L Str check-dirs Checkout directory list
- may appear multiple times
no show-defs Show the definition tree
- disabled as --dont-show-defs
-? no help Display usage information and exit
-! no more-help Extended usage information passed thru pager
Options are specified by doubled hyphens and their name
or by a single hyphen and the flag character.
Normally, however, you would compile `checkopt.c' as in:
cc -o checkopt.o $cflags -c checkopt.c
and link `checkopt.o' with the rest of your program. The main
program causes the options to be processed by calling `optionProcess'
(*note libopts-optionProcess::):
main( int argc, char** argv )
{
{
int optct = optionProcess( &checkOptions, argc, argv );
argc -= optct;
argv += optct;
}
The options are tested and used as in the following fragment.
"`ENABLED_OPT'" is used instead of "`HAVE_OPT'" for the `show-defs'
option because it is an enabled/disabled option type:
if ( ENABLED_OPT( SHOW_DEFS )
&& HAVE_OPT( CHECK_DIRS )) {
int dirct = STACKCT_OPT( CHECK_DIRS );
char** dirs = STACKLST_OPT( CHECK_DIRS );
while (dirct-- > 0) {
char* dir = *dirs++;
...
A lot of magic happens to make this happen. The rest of this chapter
will describe the myriad of option attributes supported by AutoOpts.
However, keep in mind that, in general, you won't need much more than
what was described in this "quick start" section.
7.4 Option Definitions
======================
AutoOpts uses an AutoGen definitions file for the definitions of the
program options and overall configuration attributes. The complete
list of program and option attributes is quite extensive, so if you
are reading to understand how to use AutoOpts, I recommend reading
the "Quick Start" section (*note Quick Start::) and paying attention
to the following:
1. `prog-name', `prog-title', and `argument', program attributes,
*Note program attributes::.
2. `name' and `descrip' option attributes, *Note Required
Attributes::.
3. `value' (flag character) and `min' (occurrence counts) option
attributes, *Note Common Attributes::.
4. `arg-type' from the option argument specification section, *Note
Option Arguments::.
5. Read the overall how to, *Note Using AutoOpts::.
6. Highly recommended, but not required, are the several "man" and
"info" documentation attributes, *Note documentation
attributes::.
Keep in mind that the majority are rarely used and can be safely
ignored. However, when you have special option processing
requirements, the flexibility is there.
7.4.1 Program Description Attributes
------------------------------------
The following global definitions are used to define attributes of the
entire program. These generally alter the configuration or global
behavior of the AutoOpts option parser. The first two are required
of every program. The third is required if there are to be any left
over arguments (operands) after option processing. The rest have
been alphabetized. Except as noted, there may be only one copy of
each of these definitions:
`prog-name'
This attribute is required. Variable names derived from this
name are derived using `string->c_name!' (*note SCM
string->c-name!::).
`prog-title'
This attribute is required and may be any descriptive text.
`argument'
This attribute is required if your program uses operand
arguments. It specifies the syntax of the arguments that
*follow* the options. It may not be empty, but if it is not
supplied, then option processing must consume all the arguments.
If it is supplied and starts with an open bracket (`['), then
there is no requirement on the presence or absence of command
line arguments following the options. Lastly, if it is supplied
and does not start with an open bracket, then option processing
must *not* consume all of the command line arguments.
`allow-errors'
The presence of this attribute indicates ignoring any command
line option errors. This may also be turned on and off by
invoking the macros `ERRSKIP_OPTERR' and `ERRSTOP_OPTERR' from
the generated interface file.
`config-header'
The contents of this attribute should be just the name of the
configuration file. A "#include" naming this file will be
inserted at the top of the generated header.
`environrc'
Indicates looking in the environment for values of variables
named, `PROGRAM_OPTNAME' or `PROGRAM', where `PROGRAM' is the
upper cased `C-name' of the program and `OPTNAME' is the upper
cased `C-name' of a specific option.
`export'
This string is inserted into the .h interface file. Generally
used for global variables or `#include' directives required by
`flag-code' text and shared with other program text. Do not
specify your configuration header (`config.h') in this attribute
or the `include' attribute, however. Instead, use
`config-header', above.n.
`full-usage'
If this attribute is provided, it may specify the full length
usage text, or a variable name assignable to a "char const *"
pointer, or it may be empty. The meanings are determined by
the length.
* If not provided, the text will be computed as normal.
* If the length is zero, then the usage text will be derived
from the current settings and inserted as text into the
generated .c file.
* If the length is 1 to 32 bytes, then it is presumed to be a
variable name that either points to or is an array of const
chars.
* If it is longer than that, it is presumed to be the help
text itself. This text will be inserted into the generated
.c file.
This string should be readily translatable and provision will be
made to translate it if this is provided and the source code is
compiled with "ENABLE_NLS" defined.
`guard-option-names'
AutoOpts generates macros that presume that there are no `cpp'
macros with the same name as the option name. For example, if
you have an option named, `debug', then you must not use `#ifdef
DEBUG' in your code. If you specify this attribute, every
option name will be guarded. If the name is `#define'-d, then a
warning will be issued and the name undefined. If you do not
specify this and there is a conflict, you will get strange error
messages.
This attribute may be set to any of four recognized states:
* Not defined. AutoOpts will behave as described above.
* Defined, but set to the empty string. Text will be emitted
into the header to undefine (`#undef') any conflicting
preprocessor macros. The code will include compiler
warnings (via `#warning'). Some compilers are not
ANSI-C-99 compliant yet and will error out on those
warnings. You may compile with `-DNO_OPTION_NAME_WARNINGS'
to silence or mostly silence them.
* Defined and set to the string, "`no-warning'". All of the
needed `#undef's will be emitted, without any conflict
checking `#warning' directives emitted.
* Defined and set to the string, "`full-enum'". The option
manipulation preprocessor macros will not token paste the
option names to the index enumeration prefix. e.g. you
will need to use `HAVE_OPT(INDEX_OPT_DEBUG)' instead of
`HAVE_OPT(DEBUG)'.
`homerc'
Specifies either a directory or a file using a specific path
(like `.' or `/usr/local/share/progname') or an environment
variable (like `$HOME/rc/' or `$PREFIX/share/progname') or the
directory where the executable was found (`$$[/...]') to use to
try to find the rcfile. Use as many as you like. The presence
of this attribute activates the `--save-opts' and `--load-opts'
options. *Note loading rcfile::.
`include'
This string is inserted into the .c file. Generally used for
global variables required only by `flag-code' program text.
`long-opts'
Presence indicates GNU-standard long option processing. If any
options do not have an option value (flag character) specified,
and least one does specify such a value, then you must specify
`long-opts'. If none of your options specify an option value
(flag character) and you do not specify `long-opts', then
command line arguments are processed in "named option mode".
This means that:
* Every command line argument must be a long option.
* The flag markers `-' and `--' are completely optional.
* The `argument' program attribute is disallowed.
* One of the options may be specified as the default (as long
as it has a required option argument).
`no-xlate'
Modifies when or whether option names get translated. If
provided, it must be assigned one of two values:
`opt-cfg'
to suppress option name translation for configuration file
and and environment variable processing.
`opt'
to suppress option name translation completely. The usage
text will always be translated if `ENABLE_NLS' is defined
and you have translations for that text.
See also the various "`XLAT'" interface entries in the AutoOpts
Programmatic Interface section (*note AutoOpts API::).
`prefix'
This value is inserted into *all* global names. This will
disambiguate them if more than one set of options are to be
compiled into a single program.
`rcfile'
Specifies the configuration file name. This is only useful if
you have provided at least one `homerc' attribute. default:
.rc
`short-usage'
If this attribute is provided, it is used to specify an
abbreviated version of the usage text. This text is constructed
in the same way as the "full-usage", described above.
`version'
Specifies the program version and activates the VERSION option,
*Note automatic options::.
7.4.2 Options for Library Code
------------------------------
Some libraries provide their own code for processing command line
options, and this may be used by programs that utilize AutoOpts. You
may also wish to write a library that gets configured with AutoOpts
options and config files. Such a library may either supply its own
configury routine and process its own options, or it may export its
option descriptions to programs that also use AutoOpts. This section
will describe how to do all of these different things.
7.4.2.1 AutoOpt-ed Library for AutoOpt-ed Program
.................................................
The library source code must provide an option definition file that
consists of only the `flag' entries. The first `flag' entry must
contain the following attributes:
`name'
This name is used in the construction of a global pointer of type
`tOptDesc const*'. It is always required.
`documentation'
It tells `AutoOpts' that this option serves no normal purpose.
It will be used to add usage clarity and to locate option
descriptors in the library code.
`descrip'
This is a string that is inserted in the extended usage display
before the options specific to the current library. It is
always required.
`lib-name'
This should match the name of the library. This string is also
used in the construction of the option descriptor pointer name.
In the end, it looks like this:
extern tOptDesc const* <>_<>_optDesc_p;
and is used in the macros generated for the library's `.h' file.
In order to compile this `AutoOpts' using library, you must create a
special header that is not used by the client program. This is
accomplished by creating an option definition file that contains
essentially exactly the following:
AutoGen definitions options;
prog-name = does-not-matter; // but is always required
prog-title = 'also does not matter'; // also required
config-header = 'config.h'; // optional, but common
library;
#include library-options-only.def
and nothing else. AutoGen will produce only the `.h' file. You may
now compile your library, referencing just this `.h' file. The
macros it creates will utilize a global variable that will be defined
by the `AutoOpts'-using client program. That program will need to
have the following `#include' in its option definition file:
#include library-options-only.def
All the right things will magically happen so that the global
variables named `<>_<>_optDesc_p' are initialized
correctly. For an example, please see the `AutoOpts' test script:
`autoopts/test/library.test'.
7.4.2.2 AutoOpt-ed Library for Regular Program
..............................................
In this case, your library must provide an option processing function
to a calling program. This is accomplished by setting the
`allow-errors' global option attribute. Each time your option
handling function is called, you must determine where your scan is to
resume and tell the AutoOpts library by invoking:
RESTART_OPT(next_arg_index);
and then invoke `not_opt_index = optionProcess(...)'. The
`not_opt_index' value can be used to set `optind', if that is the
global being used to scan the program argument array.
In this method, do *NOT* utilize the global `library' attribute.
Your library must specify its options as if it were a complete
program. You may choose to specify an alternate `usage()' function
so that usage for other parts of the option interface may be
displayed as well. See "Program Information Attributes" (*note
information attributes::).
At the moment, there is no method for calling `optionUsage()' telling
it to produce just the information about the options and not the
program as a whole. Some later revision after somebody asks.
7.4.2.3 AutoOpt-ed Program Calls Regular Library
................................................
As with providing an `AutoOpt'-ed library to a non-`AutoOpt'-ed
program, you must write the option description file as if you were
writing all the options for the program, but you should specify the
`allow-errors' global option attribute and you will likely want an
alternate `usage()' function (see "Program Information Attributes"
*note information attributes::). In this case, though, when
`optionProcess()' returns, you need to test to see if there might be
library options. If there might be, then call the library's exported
routine for handling command line options, set the
next-option-to-process with the `RESTART_OPT()' macro, and recall
`optionProcess()'. Repeat until done.
7.4.3 Generating main procedures
--------------------------------
When AutoOpts generates the code to parse the command line options,
it has the ability to produce any of several types of `main()'
procedures. This is done by specifying a global structured value for
`main'. The values that it contains are dependent on the value set
for the one value it must have: `main-type'.
The recognized values for `main-type' are:
Here is an example of an `include' variation:
main = {
main-type = include;
tpl = "main-template.tpl";
};
7.4.3.1 guile: main and inner_main procedures
.............................................
When the `main-type' is specified to be `guile', a `main()' procedure
is generated that calls `gh_enter()', providing it with a generated
`inner_main()' to invoke. If you must perform certain tasks before
calling `gh_enter()', you may specify such code in the value for the
`before-guile-boot' attribute.
The `inner_main()' procedure itself will process the command line
arguments (by calling `optionProcess()', *note
libopts-optionProcess::), and then either invoke the code specified
with the `guile-main' attribute, or else export the parsed options to
Guile symbols and invoke the `scm_shell()' function from the Guile
library. This latter will render the program nearly identical to the
stock `guile(1)' program.
7.4.3.2 shell-process: emit Bourne shell results
................................................
This will produce a `main()' procedure that parses the command line
options and emits to `stdout' Bourne shell commands that puts the
option state into environment variables. This can be used within a
shell script as follows:
unset OPTION_CT
eval "`opt_parser \"$@\"`"
test -z "${OPTION_CT}" && exit 1
test ${OPTION_CT} -gt 0 && shift ${OPTION_CT}
If the option parsing code detects an error or a request for usage,
it will not emit an assignment to OPTION_CT and the script should just
exit. If the options are set consistently, then something along the
lines of the following will be written to `stdout' and evaled:
OPTION_CT=4
export OPTION_CT
MYPROG_SECOND='first'
export MYPROG_SECOND
MYPROG_ANOTHER=1 # 0x1
export MYPROG_ANOTHER
If the arguments are to be reordered, however, then the resulting set
of operands will be emitted and `OPTION_CT' gets set to zero. For
example, the following would be appended to the above:
set -- 'operand1' 'operand2' 'operand3'
OPTION_CT=0
`OPTION_CT' is set to zero since it is not necessary to shift off any
options.
7.4.3.3 shell-parser: emit Bourne shell script
..............................................
This will produce a `main()' procedure that emits a shell script that
will parse the command line options. That script can be emitted to
`stdout' or inserted or substituted into a pre-existing shell script
file. Improbable markers are used to identify previously inserted
parsing text:
# # # # # # # # # # -- do not modify this marker --
The program is also pretty insistent upon starting its parsing script
on the second line.
7.4.3.4 main: user supplied main procedure
..........................................
You must supply a value for the `main-text' attribute. You may also
supply a value for `option-code'. If you do, then the
`optionProcess' invocation will not be emitted into the code.
AutoOpts will wrap the `main-text' inside of:
int
main( int argc, char** argv )
{
{
int ct = optionProcess( &<>Options, argc, argv );
argc -= ct;
argv += ct;
}
<>
}
so you can most conveniently set the value with a "`here string'"
(*note here-string::):
code = <<- _EndOfMainProc_
<>
_EndOfMainProc_;
7.4.3.5 include: code emitted from included template
....................................................
You must write a template to produce your main procedure. You
specify the name of the template with the `tpl' attribute and it will
be incorporated at the point where AutoOpts is ready to emit the
`main()' procedure.
This can be very useful if, in your working environment, you have
many programs with highly similar `main()' procedures. All you need
to do is parameterize the variations and specify which variant is
needed within the `main' AutoOpts specification. Since you are coding
the template for this, the attributes needed for this variation would
be dictated by your template.
7.4.3.6 invoke: code emitted from AutoGen macro
...............................................
You must write a template to produce your main procedure. That
template must contain a definition for the function specified with
the `func' attribute to this `main()' procedure specification.
Typically, this template will be incorporated by using the
`--lib-template' option (*note autogen lib-template::) in the AutoGen
invocation. Otherwise, this variation operates in much the same way
as "`include'" (*note main include::) method.
7.4.3.7 for-each: perform function on each argument
...................................................
This produces a main procedure that invokes a procedure once for each
operand on the command line (non-option arguments), *OR* once for each
non-blank, non-comment `stdin' input line. Leading and trailing white
space is trimmed from the input line and comment lines are lines that
are empty or begin with a comment character, defaulting to a hash
('#') character.
*NB*: The `argument' program attribute (*note program attributes::)
must begin with the `[' character, to indicate that there are command
operands, but that they are optional.
There are a number of attributes to `main' that may be used:
`handler-proc'
This attribute is required. It is used to name the procedure to
call. That procedure is presumed to be external, but if you
provide the code for it, then the procedure is emitted as a
static procedure in the generated code.
This procedure should return 0 on success, a cumulative error
code on warning and exit without returning on an unrecoverable
error. As the cumulative warning codes are or-ed together, the
codes should be some sort of bit mask in order to be ultimately
decipherable (if you need to do that).
If the called procedure needs to cause a fail-exit, it is
expected to call `exit(3)' directly. If you want to cause a
warning exit code, then this handler function should return a
non-zero status. That value will be *OR*-ed into a result
integer for computing the final exit code. E.g., here is part
of the emitted code:
int res = 0;
if (argc > 0) {
do {
res |= my_handler( *(argv++) );
} while (--argc > 0);
} else { ...
`handler-type'
If you do not supply this attribute, your handler procedure must
be the default type. The profile of the procedure must be:
int my_handler( char const *pz_entry );
However, if you do supply this attribute, you may select any of
three alternate flavors:
`name-of-file'
This is essentially the same as the default handler type,
except that before your procedure is invoked, the generated
code has verified that the string names an existing file.
The profile is unchanged.
`file-X'
Before calling your procedure, the file is f-opened
according to the "X", where "X" may be any of the legal
modes for `fopen(3C)'. In this case, the profile for your
procedure must be:
int my_handler( char const* pz_fname, FILE* entry_fp );
`text-of-file'
`some-text-of-file'
Before calling your procedure, the contents of the file are
read into memory. (Excessively large files may cause
problems.) The "`some-text-of-file'" disallows empty
files. Both require regular files. In this case, the
profile for your procedure must be:
int my_handler( char const* pz_fname, char* file_text,
size_t text_size );
Note that though the `file_text' is not `const', any
changes made to it are not written back to the original
file. It is merely a memory image of the file contents.
Also, the memory allocated to hold the text is `text_size +
1' bytes long and the final byte is always `NUL'. The file
contents need not be text, as the data are read with the
`read(2)' system call.
`my_handler-code'
With this attribute, you provide the code for your handler
procedure in the option definition file. In this case, your
`main()' procedure specification might look something like this:
main = {
main-type = for-each;
handler-proc = my_handler;
my_handler-code = <<- EndOfMyCode
/* whatever you want to do */
EndOfMyCode;
};
and instead of an emitted external reference, a procedure will
be emitted that looks like this:
static int
my_handler( char const* pz_entry )
{
int res = 0;
<>
return res;
}
`main-init'
This is code that gets inserted after the options have been
processed, but before the handler procs get invoked.
`main-fini'
This is code that gets inserted after all the entries have been
processed, just before returning from `main()'.
`comment-char'
If you wish comment lines to start with a character other than a
hash (`#') character, then specify one character with this
attribute. If that character is the `NUL' byte, then only blank
lines will be considered comments.
7.4.4 Program Information Attributes
------------------------------------
These attributes are used to define how and what information is
displayed to the user of the program.
`copyright'
The `copyright' is a structured value containing three to five
values. If `copyright' is used, then the first three are
required.
1. `date' - the list of applicable dates for the copyright.
2. `owner' - the name of the copyright holder.
3. `type' - specifies the type of distribution license.
AutoOpts/AutoGen will automatically support the text of the
GNU Public License (`GPL'), the GNU General Public License
with Library extensions (`LGPL'), the Free BSD license
(`BSD'), and a write-it-yourself copyright notice (`NOTE').
Only these values are recognized.
4. `text' - the text of the copyright notice. It is only
needed if `type' is set to `NOTE'.
5. `author' - in case the author name is to appear in the
documentation and is different from the copyright owner.
6. `eaddr' - email address for receiving praises and
complaints. Typically that of the author or copyright
holder.
An example of this might be:
copyright = {
date = "1992-2004";
owner = "Bruce Korb";
eaddr = 'bkorb@gnu.org';
type = GPL;
};
`detail'
This string is added to the usage output when the HELP option is
selected.
`explain'
Gives additional information whenever the usage routine is
invoked..
`package'
The name of the package the program belongs to. This will appear
parenthetically after the program name in the version and usage
output, e.g.: `autogen (GNU autogen) - The Automated Program
Generator'.
`preserve-case'
This attribute will not change anything except appearance.
Normally, the option names are all documented in lower case.
However, if you specify this attribute, then they will display
in the case used in their specification. Command line options
will still be matched without case sensitivity.
`prog-desc *and*'
`opts-ptr'
These define global pointer variables that point to the program
descriptor and the first option descriptor for a library option.
This is intended for use by certain libraries that need command
line and/or initialization file option processing. These
definitions have no effect on the option template output, but
are used for creating a library interface file. Normally, the
first "option" for a library will be a documentation option that
cannot be specified on the command line, but is marked as
`settable'. The library client program will invoke the
`SET_OPTION' macro which will invoke a handler function that will
finally set these global variables.
`usage'
Optionally names the usage procedure, if the library routine
`optionUsage()' does not work for you. If you specify
`my_usage' as the value of this attribute, for example, you will
use a procedure by that name for displaying usage. Of course,
you will need to provide that procedure and it must conform to
this profile:
void my_usage( tOptions* pOptions, int exitCode )
`gnu-usage'
Normally, the default format produced by the `optionUsage'
procedure is AutoOpts Standard. By specifying this attribute,
the default format will be GNU-ish style. Either default may be
overridden by the user with the `AUTOOPTS_USAGE' environment
variable. If it is set to `gnu' or `autoopts', it will alter
the style appropriately. This attribute will conflict with the
`usage' attribute.
`reorder-args'
Some applications traditionally require that the command
operands be intermixed with the command options. In order to
handle that, the arguments must be reordered. If you are
writing such an application, specify this global option. All of
the options (and any associated option arguments) will be
brought to the beginning of the argument list. New applications
should not use this feature, if at all possible. This feature is
disabled if `POSIXLY_CORRECT' is defined in the environment.
7.4.5 Option Attributes
-----------------------
For each option you wish to specify, you must have a block macro named
`flag' defined. There are two required attributes: `name' and
`descrip'. If any options do not have a `value' (traditional flag
character) attribute, then the `long-opts' program attribute must also
be defined. As a special exception, if no options have a `value'
*and* `long-opts' is not defined *and* `argument' is not defined,
then all arguments to the program are named options. In this case,
the `-' and `--' command line option markers are optional.
7.4.5.1 Required Attributes
...........................
Every option must have exactly one copy of both of these attributes.
`name'
Long name for the option. Even if you are not accepting long
options and are only accepting flags, it must be provided.
AutoOpts generates private, named storage that requires this
name. This name also causes a `#define'-d name to be emitted.
It must not conflict with any other names you may be using in
your program.
For example, if your option name is, `debug' or `munged-up', you
must not use the `#define' names `DEBUG' (or `MUNGED_UP') in
your program for non-AutoOpts related purposes. They are now
used by AutoOpts.
Sometimes (most especially under Windows), you may get a
surprise. For example, `INTERFACE' is apparently a user space
name that one should be free to use. Windows usurps this name.
To solve this, you must do one of the following:
1. Change the name of your option
2. add the program attribute (*note program attributes::):
export = '#undef INTERFACE';
3. add the program attribute:
guard-option-names;
`descrip'
Except for documentation options, a *very* brief description of
the option. About 40 characters on one line, maximum. It
appears on the `usage()' output next to the option name. If,
however, the option is a documentation option, it will appear on
one or more lines by itself. It is thus used to visually
separate and comment upon groups of options in the usage text.
7.4.5.2 Common Option Attributes
................................
These option attributes are optional. Any that do appear in the
definition of a flag, may appear only once.
`value'
The flag character to specify for traditional option flags,
e.g., `-L'.
`max'
Maximum occurrence count (invalid if DISABLE present). The
default maximum is 1. `NOLIMIT' can be used for the value,
otherwise it must be a number or a `#define' that evaluates to a
number.
`min'
Minimum occurrence count. If present, then the option *must*
appear on the command line. Do not define it with the value
zero (0).
`must-set'
If an option must be specified, but it need not be specified on
the command line, then specify this attribute for the option.
`enable'
Long-name prefix for enabling the option (invalid if DISABLE
*not* present). Only useful if long option names are being
processed.
`disable'
Prefix for disabling (inverting sense of) the option. Only
useful if long option names are being processed.
`enabled'
If default is for option being enabled. (Otherwise, the
OPTST_DISABLED bit is set at compile time.) Only useful if the
option can be disabled.
`ifdef'
`ifndef'
If an option is relevant on certain platforms or when certain
features are enabled or disabled, you can specify the compile
time flag used to indicate when the option should be compiled in
or out. For example, if you have a configurable feature,
`mumble' that is indicated with the compile time define,
`WITH_MUMBLING', then add:
ifdef = WITH_MUMBLING;
Take care when using these. There are several caveats:
* The case and spelling must match whatever is specified.
* Do not confuse these attributes with the AutoGen directives
of the same names, *Note Directives::. These cause C
preprocessing directives to be inserted into the generated
C text.
* Only one of these attributes may apply to any given option.
* The `VALUE_OPT_' values are `#define'-d. If `WITH_MUMBLING'
is not defined, then the associated `VALUE_OPT_' value will
not be `#define'-d either. So, if you have an option
named, `MUMBLING' that is active only if `WITH_MUMBLING' is
`#define'-d, then `VALUE_OPT_MUMBLING' will be `#define'-d
iff `WITH_MUMBLING' is `#define'-d. Watch those switch
statements.
7.4.5.3 Program may set option
..............................
If the option can be set outside of option processing, specify
"`settable'". If this attribute is defined, special macros for
setting this particular option will be inserted into the interface
file. For example, `TEMPL_DIRS' is a settable option for AutoGen, so
a macro named `SET_OPT_TEMPL_DIRS(a)' appears in the interface file.
This attribute interacts with the DOCUMENTATION attribute.
7.4.5.4 Option cannot be pre-configured
.......................................
If presetting this option is not allowed, specify "`no-preset'".
(Thus, environment variables and values set in configuration files
will be ignored.)
7.4.5.5 Option Equivalence Class
................................
Generally, when several options are mutually exclusive and basically
serve the purpose of selecting one of several processing modes,
specify the "`equivalence'" attribute. These options will be
considered an equivalence class. Sometimes, it is just easier to
deal with them as such. All members of the equivalence class must
contain the same equivalenced-to option, including the
equivalenced-to option itself. Thus, it must be a class member.
For an option equivalence class, there is a single occurrence counter
for the class. It can be referenced with the interface macro,
`COUNT_OPT(BASE_OPTION)', where "BASE_OPTION" is the equivalenced-to
option name.
Also, please take careful note: since the options are mapped to the
equivalenced-to option descriptor, any option argument values are
mapped to that descriptor also. Be sure you know which "equivalent
option" was selected before getting an option argument value!
During the presetting phase of option processing (*note Presetting
Options::), equivalenced options may be specified. However, if
different equivalenced members are specified, only the last instance
will be recognized and the others will be discarded. A conflict
error is indicated only when multiple different members appear on the
command line itself.
As an example of where equivalenced options might be useful, `cpio(1)'
has three options `-o', `-i', and `-p' that define the operational
mode of the program (`create', `extract' and `pass-through',
respectively). They form an equivalence class from which one and
only one member must appear on the command line. If `cpio' were an
AutoOpt-ed program, then each of these option definitions would
contain:
equivalence = create;
and the program would be able to determine the operating mode with
code that worked something like this:
switch (WHICH_IDX_CREATE) {
case INDEX_OPT_CREATE: ...
case INDEX_OPT_EXTRACT: ...
case INDEX_OPT_PASS_THROUGH: ...
default: /* cannot happen */
}
7.4.5.6 Default Option
......................
If your program processes its arguments in named option mode (See
"long-opts" in *Note program attributes::), then you may select *one*
of your options to be the default option. Do so by using attribute
"`default'" with one of the options. The option so specified must
have an `arg-type' (*note Option Arguments::) specified, but not the
`arg-optional' (*note arg-optional::) attribute. That is to say, the
option argument must be required.
If you have done this, then any arguments that do not match an option
name and do not contain an equal sign (`=') will be interpreted as an
option argument to the default option.
7.4.5.7 Option Sectioning Comment
.................................
This attribute means the option exists for the purpose of separating
option description text in the usage output. Libraries may choose to
make it settable so that the library can determine which command line
option is the first one that pertains to the library.
If the "`documentation'" attribute is present, then all other
attributes are disabled except `settable', `call-proc' and
`flag_-ode'. `settable' must be and is only specified if
`call-proc', `extract-code' or `flag-code' has been specified. When
present, the `descrip' attribute will be displayed only when the
`--help' option has been specified. It will be displayed flush to the
left hand margin and may consist of one or more lines of text. The
name of the option will not be printed.
Documentation options are for clarifying the usage text and will not
appear in generated man pages or in the generated invoking texinfo
doc.
7.4.5.8 Translator Notes
........................
If you need to give the translators a special note about a particular
option, please use the "`translators'" attribute. The attribute text
will be emitted into the generated `.c' text where the option related
strings get defined. To make a general comment about all of the
option code, add comments to an `include' attribute (*note program
attributes::). Do *not* use this attribute globally, or it will get
emitted into every option definition block.
7.4.5.9 Immediate Action Attributes
...................................
Certain options may need to be processed early. For example, in
order to suppress the processing of configuration files, it is
necessary to process the command line option `--no-load-opts'
*before* the config files are processed. To accommodate this,
certain options may have their enabled or disabled forms marked for
immediate processing. The consequence of this is that they are
processed ahead of all other options in the reverse of normal order.
Normally, the first options processed are the options specified in
the first `homerc' file, followed by then next `homerc' file through
to the end of config file processing. Next, environment variables
are processed and finally, the command line options. The later
options override settings processed earlier. That actually gives
them higher priority. Command line immediate action options actually
have the lowest priority of all. They would be used only if they are
to have an effect on the processing of subsequent options.
`immediate'
Use this option attribute to specify that the enabled form of
the option is to be processed immediately. The `help' and
`more-help' options are so specified. They will also call
`exit()' upon completion, so they *do* have an effect on the
processing of the remaining options :-).
`immed-disable'
Use this option attribute to specify that the disabled form of
the option is to be processed immediately. The `load-opts'
option is so specified. The `--no-load-opts' command line
option will suppress the processing of config files and
environment variables. Contrariwise, the `--load-opts' command
line option is processed normally. That means that the options
specified in that file will be processed after all the `homerc'
files and, in fact, after options that precede it on the command
line.
`also'
If either the `immediate' or the `immed-disable' attributes are
set to the string, "`also'", then the option will actually be
processed twice: first at the immediate processing phase and
again at the "normal" time.
7.4.5.10 Option Conflict Attributes
...................................
These attributes may be used as many times as you need. They are
used at the end of the option processing to verify that the context
within which each option is found does not conflict with the presence
or absence of other options.
This is not a complete cover of all possible conflicts and
requirements, but it simple to implement and covers the more common
situations.
`flags-must'
one entry for every option that *must* be present when this
option is present
`flags-cant'
one entry for every option that *cannot* be present when this
option is present
7.4.6 Option Argument Specification
-----------------------------------
Command line options come in three flavors: options that do not take
arguments, those that do and those that may. Without an "arg-type"
attribute, AutoOpts will not process an argument to an option. If
"arg-type" is specified and "arg-optional" is also specified, then
the next command line token will be taken to be an argument, unless
it looks like the name of another option.
If the argument type is specified to be anything other than
"str[ing]", then AutoOpts will specify a callback procedure to handle
the argument. Some of these procedures will be created and inserted
into the generated `.c' file, and others are already built into the
`libopts' library. Therefore, if you write your own callback
procedure (*note Option Argument Handling::), then you must either
not specify an "arg-type" attribute, or else specify it to be of type
"str[ing]". Your callback function will be able to place its own
restrictions on what that string may contain or represent.
Option argument handling attributes depend upon the value set for the
`arg-type' attribute. It specifies the type of argument the option
will take. If not present, the option cannot take an argument. If
present, it must be an entry in the following table. The first three
letters is sufficient.
7.4.6.1 Keyword list
....................
If the `arg-type' is `keyword' (*note arg-type keyword::) or
`set-membership' (*note arg-type set membership::), then you must
specify the list of keywords by a series of `keyword' entries. The
interface file will contain values for `_' for
each keyword entry. `keyword' option types will have an enumeration
and `set-membership' option types will have a set of unsigned bits
`#define'-d.
If the `arg-type' is specifically `keyword', you may also add special
handling code with a `extra-code' attribute. After
`optionEnumerationVal' has converted the input string into an
enumeration, you may insert code to process this enumeration value
(`pOptDesc->optArg.argEnum').
7.4.6.2 Option Argument Optional
................................
This attribute indicates that the user does not have to supply an
argument for the option. This is only valid if the ARG-TYPE is
`string' (*note arg-type string::) or `keyword' (*note arg-type
keyword::). If it is `keyword', then this attribute may also specify
the default keyword to assume when the argument is not supplied. If
left empty, ARG-DEFAULT (*note arg-default::) or the zero-valued
keyword will be used.
This is overridden and the options are required if the libopts library
gets configured with `--disable-optional-args'.
7.4.6.3 Default Option Argument Value
.....................................
This specifies the default option argument value to be used when the
option is not specified or preset.
7.4.6.4 Arg Type String
.......................
`arg-type = string;'
The argument may be any arbitrary string, though your program or
option callback procedure may place additional constraints upon it.
7.4.6.5 Arg Type Number
.......................
`arg-type = number;'
The argument must be a correctly formed integer, without any trailing
U's or L's. AutoOpts contains a library procedure to convert the
string to a number. If you specify range checking with `arg-range'
(see below), then AutoOpts produces a special purpose procedure for
this option.
`scaled'
`scaled' marks the option so that suffixes of `k', `K', `m',
`M', `g', `G', `t', and `T' will multiply the given number by a
power of 1000 or 1024. Lower case letters scale by a power of
1000 and upper case scale by a power of 1024.
`arg-range'
`arg-range' is used to create a callback procedure for
validating the range of the option argument. It must match one
of the range entries. Each `arg-range' should consist of either
an integer by itself or an integer range. The integer range is
specified by one or two integers separated by the two character
sequence, `->'. Be sure to quote the entire range string. The
definitions parser will not accept the range syntax as a single
string token.
The generated procedure imposes the range constraints as follows:
* A number by itself will match that one value.
* The high end of the range may not be `INT_MIN', both for
obvious reasons and because that value is used to indicate
a single-valued match.
* An omitted lower value implies a lower bound of INT_MIN.
* An omitted upper value implies a upper bound of INT_MAX.
* The argument value is required. It may not be optional.
* The value must match one of the entries. If it can match
more than one, then you have redundancies, but no harm will
come of it.
7.4.6.6 Arg Type Boolean
........................
`arg-type = boolean;'
The argument will be interpreted and always yield either AG_TRUE or
AG_FALSE. False values are the empty string, the number zero, or a
string that starts with `f', `F', `n' or `N' (representing False or
No). Anything else will be interpreted as True.
7.4.6.7 Arg Type Keyword
........................
`arg-type = keyword;'
The argument must match a specified list of strings (*note
arg-keyword::). Assuming you have named the option, `optn-name', the
strings will be converted into an enumeration of type `te_Optn_Name'
with the values `OPTN_NAME_KEYWORD'. If you have *not* specified a
default value, the value `OPTN_NAME_UNDEFINED' will be inserted with
the value zero. The option will be initialized to that value. You
may now use this in your code as follows:
te_Optn_Name opt = OPT_VALUE_OPTN_NAME;
switch (opt) {
case OPTN_NAME_UNDEFINED: /* undefined things */ break;
case OPTN_NAME_KEYWORD: /* `keyword' things */ break;
default: /* utterly impossible */ ;
}
AutoOpts produces a special purpose procedure for this option.
If you have need for the string name of the selected keyword, you may
obtain this with the macro, `OPT_OPTN_NAME_VAL2STR(val)'. The value
you pass would normally be `OPT_VALUE_OPTN_NAME', but anything with
numeric value that is legal for `te_Optn_Name' may be passed.
Anything out of range will result in the string, `"*INVALID*"' being
returned. The strings are read only. It may be used as in:
te_Optn_Name opt = OPT_VALUE_OPTN_NAME;
printf( "you selected the %s keyword\n",
OPT_OPTN_NAME_VAL2STR(opt) );
7.4.6.8 Arg Type Set Membership
...............................
`arg-type = set;'
The argument must be a list of names each of which must match the
strings "`all'", "`none'" or one of the keywords (*note arg-keyword::)
specified for this option. `all' will turn on all membership bits and
`none' will turn them all off. Specifying one of the keywords will
turn on the corresponding set membership bit. Literal numbers may
also be used and may, thereby, set or clear more than one bit.
Preceding a keyword or literal number with a bang (`!' - exclamation
point) will turn the bit(s) off. The number of keywords allowed is
constrained by the number of bits in a pointer, as the bit set is
kept in a `void*'.
If, for example, you specified `first' in your list of keywords, then
you can use the following code to test to see if either `first' or
`all' was specified:
uintptr_t opt = OPT_VALUE_OPTN_NAME;
if (opt & OPTN_NAME_FIRST)
/* OPTN_NAME_FIRST bit was set */ ;
AutoOpts produces a special purpose procedure for this option.
7.4.6.9 Arg Type Hierarchical
.............................
`arg-type = hierarchy;'
`arg-type = nested;'
This denotes an option with a structure-valued argument, a.k.a.
"subopts" in `getopts' terminology. The argument is parsed and the
values made available to the program via the find and find next calls
(*Note libopts-optionFindValue::, *Note libopts-optionGetValue::, and
*note libopts-optionFindNextValue::).
tOptionValue * val = optionGetValue(VALUE_OPT_OPTN_NAME, "name");
while (val != NULL) {
process(val);
val = optionNextValue(VALUE_OPT_OPTN_NAME, val);
if (wrong_name(val, "name"))
break;
}
7.4.6.10 Arg Type File Name
...........................
`arg-type = file;'
This argument type will have some validations on the argument and,
optionally, actually open the file. You must specify several
additonal attributes for the option:
`file-exists'
If not specified or empty, then the directory portion of the
name is checked. The directory must exist or the argument is
rejected and the usage procedure is invoked.
Otherwise, both the directory as above and the full name is
tested for existence. If the value begins with the two letters
"no", then the file must not pre-exist. Otherwise, the file is
expected to exist.
`open-file'
If not specified or empty, the file is left alone. If the value
begins with the four letters "desc"[riptor], then `open(2)' is
used and `optArg.argFd' is set. Otherwise, the file is opened
with `fopen' and `optArg.argFp' is set.
`file-mode'
If "open-file" is set and not empty, then you must specify the
open mode. Set the value to the flag bits or mode string as
appropriate for the open type.
7.4.7 Option Argument Handling
------------------------------
AutoOpts will either specify or automatically generate callback
procedures for options that take specialized arguments. The only
option argument types that are not specialized are plain string
arguments and no argument at all. For options that fall into one of
those two categories, you may specify your own callback function, as
specified below. If the option takes a string argument, then you may
specify that the option is to be handled by the `libopts' library
procedures `stackOptArg()' or `unstackOptArg()' (see below).
Finally, `documentation' options (*note opt-attr documentation::) may
also be marked as `settable' (*note opt-attr settable::) and have
special callback functions (either `flag-code', `extract-code', or
`call-proc').
`flag-code'
statements to execute when the option is encountered. The
generated procedure will look like this:
static void
doOpt( tOptions* pOptions, tOptDesc* pOptDesc )
{
}
Only certain fields within the `tOptions' and `tOptDesc'
structures may be accessed. *Note Option Processing Data::.
`extract-code'
This is effectively identical to `flag-code', except that the
source is kept in the output file instead of the definitions
file. A long comment is used to demarcate the code. You must
not modify that marker. Before regenerating the option code
file, the old file is renamed from MUMBLE.c to MUMBLE.c.save.
The template will be looking there for the text to copy into the
new output file.
`call-proc'
external procedure to call when option is encountered. The
calling sequence must conform to the sequence defined above for
the generated procedure, `doOpt'. It has the same
restrictions regarding the fields within the structures passed
in as arguments. *Note Option Processing Data::.
`flag-proc'
Name of another option whose `flag-code' can be executed when
this option is encountered.
`stack-arg'
Call a special library routine to stack the option's arguments.
Special macros in the interface file are provided for
determining how many of the options were found
(`STACKCT_OPT(NAME)') and to obtain a pointer to a list of
pointers to the argument values (`STACKLST_OPT(NAME)').
Obviously, for a stackable argument, the `max' attribute (*note
Common Attributes::) needs to be set higher than `1'.
If this stacked argument option has a disablement prefix, then
the entire stack of arguments will be cleared by specifying the
option with that disablement prefix.
`unstack-arg'
Call a special library routine to remove ("unstack") strings
from a `stack-arg' option stack. This attribute must name the
option that is to be "unstacked". Neither this option nor the
stacked argument option it references may be equivalenced to
another option.
7.4.8 Internationalizing Options
--------------------------------
Normally, AutoOpts produces usage text that is difficult to
translate. It is pieced together on the fly using words and phrases
scattered around here and there, piecing together toe document. This
does not translate well.
Incorporated into this package are some ways around the problem.
First, you should specify the `full-usage' and `short-usage' program
attributes (*note program attributes::). This will enable your
translators to translate the usage text as a whole.
Your translators will also be able to translate long option names.
The option name translations will then become the names searched for
both on the command line and in configuration files. However, it
will not affect the names of environment variable names used to
configure your program.
If it is considered desireable to keep configuration files in the "C"
locale, then several macros are available to suppress or delay the
translations of option names at run time. These are all disabled if
`ENABLE_NLS' is not defined at compile time. These macros *must* be
invoked before the first invocation of `optionProcess'.
`OPT_NO_XLAT_CFG_NAMES;'
`OPT_XLAT_CFG_NAMES;'
Disable (or enable) the translations of option names for
configuration files. If you enable translation for config
files, then they will be translated for command line options.
`OPT_NO_XLAT_OPT_NAMES;'
`OPT_XLAT_OPT_NAMES;'
Disable (or enable) the translations of option names for command
line processing. If you disable the translation for command
line processing, you will also disable it for configuration file
processing. Once translated, the option names will remain
translated.
7.4.9 Man and Info doc Attributes
---------------------------------
AutoOpts includes AutoGen templates for producing abbreviated man
pages and for producing the invoking section of an info document. To
take advantage of these templates, you must add several attributes to
your option definitions.
`doc'
First, every `flag' definition _other than_ "documentation"
definitions, must have a `doc' attribute defined. If the option
takes an argument, then it will need an `arg-name' attribute as
well. The `doc' text should be in plain sentences with minimal
formatting. The Texinfo commands `@code', and `@var' will have
its enclosed text made into *\fB* entries in the man page, and
the `@file' text will be made into *\fI* entries. The
`arg-name' attribute is used to display the option's argument in
the man page.
Options marked with the "documentation" attribute are for
documenting the usage text. All other options should have the
"doc" attribute in order to document the usage of the option in
the generated man pages.
`arg-name'
If an option has an argument, the argument should have a name for
documentation purposes. It will default to `arg-type', but it
will likely be clearer with something else like, `file-name'
instead of `string' (the type).
`prog-man-descrip'
`prog-info-descrip'
Then, you need to supply a brief description of what your
program does. If you already have a `detail' definition, this
may be sufficient. If not, or if you need special formatting
for one of the manual formats, then you will need either a
definition for `prog-man-descrip' or `prog-info-descrip' or
both. These will be inserted verbatim in the man page document
and the info document, respectively.
`man-doc'
Finally, if you need to add man page sections like `SEE ALSO' or
`USAGE' or other, put that text in a `man-doc' definition. This
text will be inserted verbatim in the man page after the
`OPTIONS' section and before the `AUTHOR' section.
7.4.10 Automatically Supported Options
--------------------------------------
AutoOpts provides automated support for six options. `help' and
`more-help' are always provided. `version' is provided if `version'
is defined in the option definitions *Note program attributes::.
`save-opts' and `load-opts' are provided if at least one `homerc' is
defined *Note program attributes::.
Below are the option names and flag values. The flags are activated
if and only if at least one user-defined option also uses a flag
value. These flags may be deleted or changed to characters of your
choosing by specifying `xxx-value = "y";', where `xxx' is one of the
five names below and `y' is either empty or the character of your
choice. For example, to change the help flag from `?' to `h', specify
`help-value = "h";'; and to require that `save-opts' be specified
only with its long option name, specify `save-opts-value = "";'.
With the exception of the `load-opts' option, none of these
automatically supported options will be recognized in configuration
files or environment variables.
`help -?'
This option will immediately invoke the `USAGE()' procedure and
display the usage line, a description of each option with its
description and option usage information. This is followed by
the contents of the definition of the `detail' text macro.
`more-help -!'
This option is identical to the `help' option, except that the
output is passed through a pager program. (`more' by default, or
the program identified by the `PAGER' environment variable.)
`usage -u'
This option must be requested by specifying, `usage-opt' in the
option definition file. It will produce abbreviated help text
to `stdout' and exit with zero status (`EXIT_SUCCESS').
`version -v'
This will print the program name, title and version. If it is
followed by the letter `c' and a value for `copyright' and
`owner' have been provided, then the copyright will be printed,
too. If it is followed by the letter `n', then the full
copyright notice (if available) will be printed.
`save-opts ->'
This option will cause the option state to be printed in the
configuration file format when option processing is done but not
yet verified for consistency. The program will terminate
successfully without running when this has completed. Note that
for most shells you will have to quote or escape the flag
character to restrict special meanings to the shell.
The output file will be the configuration file name (default or
provided by `rcfile') in the last directory named in a `homerc'
definition.
This option may be set from within your program by invoking the
"`SET_OPT_SAVE_OPTS(filename)'" macro (*note SET_OPT_name::).
Invoking this macro will set the file name for saving the option
processing state, but the state will *not* actually be saved.
You must call `optionSaveFile' to do that (*note
libopts-optionSaveFile::). *CAVEAT:* if, after invoking this
macro, you call `optionProcess', the option processing state
will be saved to this file and `optionProcess' will not return.
You may wish to invoke `CLEAR_OPT( SAVE_OPTS )' (*note
CLEAR_OPT::) beforehand.
`load-opts -<'
This option will load options from the named file. They will be
treated exactly as if they were loaded from the normally found
configuration files, but will not be loaded until the option is
actually processed. This can also be used within another
configuration file, causing them to nest. This is the *only*
option that can be activated inside of config files or with
environment variables.
Specifying the negated form of the option (`--no-load-opts') will
suppress the processing of configuration files and environment
variables.
7.4.11 Library of Standard Options
----------------------------------
AutoOpts has developed a set of standardized options. You may
incorporate these options in your program simply by _first_ adding a
`#define' for the options you want, and then the line,
#include stdoptions.def
in your option definitions. The supported options are specified thus:
#define DEBUG
#define DIRECTORY
#define DRY_RUN
#define INPUT
#define INTERACTIVE
#define OUTPUT
#define WARN
#define SILENT
#define QUIET
#define BRIEF
#define VERBOSE
By default, only the long form of the option will be available. To
specify the short (flag) form, suffix these names with `_FLAG'. e.g.,
#define DEBUG_FLAG
`--silent', `--quiet', `--brief' and `--verbose' are related in that
they all indicate some level of diagnostic output. These options are
all designed to conflict with each other. Instead of four different
options, however, several levels can be incorporated by `#define'-ing
`VERBOSE_ENUM'. In conjunction with `VERBOSE', it incorporates the
notion of 5 levels in an enumeration: `silent', `quiet', `brief',
`informative' and `verbose'; with the default being `brief'.
Here is an example program that uses the following set of definitions:
AutoGen Definitions options;
prog-name = default-test;
prog-title = 'Default Option Example';
homerc = '$$/../share/default-test', '$HOME', '.';
environrc;
long-opts;
gnu-usage;
usage-opt;
version = '1.0';
main = {
main-type = shell-process;
};
#define DEBUG_FLAG
#define WARN_FLAG
#define WARN_LEVEL
#define VERBOSE_FLAG
#define VERBOSE_ENUM
#define DRY_RUN_FLAG
#define OUTPUT_FLAG
#define INPUT_FLAG
#define DIRECTORY_FLAG
#define INTERACTIVE_FLAG
#include stdoptions.def
Running a few simple commands on that definition file:
autogen default-test.def
copts="-DTEST_DEFAULT_TEST_OPTS `autoopts-config cflags`"
lopts="`autoopts-config ldflags`"
cc -o default-test ${copts} default-test.c ${lopts}
Yields a program which, when run with `--help', prints out:
default-test - Default Option Example - Ver. 1.0
USAGE: default-test [ - [] | --[{=| }] ]...
The following options are commonly used and are provided and supported
by AutoOpts:
-D, --debug run program with debugging info
-V, --verbose=KWd run program with progress info
-w, --warn=num specify a warning-level threshhold
- disabled as --no-warn
-R, --dry-run program will make no changes
-I, --interactive=str prompt for confirmation
-i, --input=str redirect input from file
-o, --output=str redirect output to file
-d, --directory=str use specified dir for I/O
version and help options:
-v, --version[=arg] Output version information and exit
-?, --help Display usage information and exit
-!, --more-help Extended usage information passed thru pager
-u, --usage Abbreviated usage to stdout
->, --save-opts[=arg] Save the option state to a config file
-<, --load-opts=str Load options from a config file
- disabled as --no-load-opts
- may appear multiple times
Options are specified by doubled hyphens and their name
or by a single hyphen and the flag character.
The following option preset mechanisms are supported:
- reading file $$/../share/default-test
- reading file $HOME
- reading file /home/bkorb/ag/ag/doc/.default_testrc
- examining environment variables named DEFAULT_TEST_*
The valid "verbose" option keywords are:
silent quiet brief informative verbose
or an integer between 0 and 4
7.5 Programmatic Interface
==========================
The user interface for access to the argument information is
completely defined in the generated header file and in the portions
of the distributed file "options.h" that are marked "public".
In the following macros, text marked `' or `name' is the name
of the option *in upper case* and *segmented with underscores `_'*.
The macros and enumerations defined in the options header (interface)
file are used as follows:
To see how these `#define' macros are used in a program, the reader
is referred to the several `opts.h' files included with the AutoGen
sources.
7.5.1 Data for Option Processing
--------------------------------
This section describes the data that may be accessed from within the
option processing callback routines. The following fields may be used
in the following ways and may be used for read only. The first set is
addressed from the `tOptDesc*' pointer:
`optIndex'
`optValue'
These may be used by option procedures to determine which option
they are working on (in case they handle several options).
`optActualIndex'
`optActualValue'
These may be used by option procedures to determine which option
was used to set the current option. This may be different from
the above if the options are members of an equivalence class.
`optOccCt'
If AutoOpts is processing command line arguments, then this
value will contain the current occurrence count. During the
option preset phase (reading configuration files and examining
environment variables), the value is zero.
`fOptState'
The field may be tested for the following bit values (prefix
each name with `OPTST_', e.g. `OPTST_INIT'):
`INIT'
Initial compiled value. As a bit test, it will always
yield FALSE.
`SET'
The option was set via the `SET_OPT()' macro.
`PRESET'
The option was set via a configuration file.
`DEFINED'
The option was set via a command line option.
`SET_MASK'
This is a mask of flags that show the set state, one of the
above four values.
`EQUIVALENCE'
This bit is set when the option was selected by an
equivalenced option.
`DISABLED'
This bit is set if the option is to be disabled. (Meaning
it was a long option prefixed by the disablement prefix, or
the option has not been specified yet and initializes as
`disabled'.)
As an example of how this might be used, in AutoGen I want to
allow template writers to specify that the template output can
be left in a writable or read-only state. To support this,
there is a Guile function named `set-writable' (*note SCM
set-writable::). Also, I provide for command options
`--writable' and `--not-writable'. I give precedence to command
line and RC file options, thus:
switch (STATE_OPT( WRITABLE )) {
case OPTST_DEFINED:
case OPTST_PRESET:
fprintf( stderr, zOverrideWarn, pCurTemplate->pzFileName,
pCurMacro->lineNo );
break;
default:
if (gh_boolean_p( set ) && (set == SCM_BOOL_F))
CLEAR_OPT( WRITABLE );
else
SET_OPT_WRITABLE;
}
`pzLastArg'
Pointer to the latest argument string. BEWARE If the argument
type is numeric, an enumeration or a bit mask, then this will be
the argument *value* and not a pointer to a string.
The following two fields are addressed from the `tOptions*' pointer:
`pzProgName'
Points to a NUL-terminated string containing the current program
name, as retrieved from the argument vector.
`pzProgPath'
Points to a NUL-terminated string containing the full path of
the current program, as retrieved from the argument vector. (If
available on your system.)
Note these fields get filled in during the first call to
`optionProcess()'. All other fields are private, for the exclusive
use of AutoOpts code and are subject to change.
7.5.2 CLEAR_OPT( ) - Clear Option Markings
-------------------------------------------------
Make as if the option had never been specified. `HAVE_OPT()'
will yield `FALSE' after invoking this macro.
7.5.3 COUNT_OPT( ) - Definition Count
--------------------------------------------
This macro will tell you how many times the option was specified on
the command line. It does not include counts of preset options.
if (COUNT_OPT( NAME ) != desired-count) {
make-an-undesirable-message.
}
7.5.4 DESC( ) - Option Descriptor
----------------------------------------
This macro is used internally by other AutoOpt macros. It is not for
general use. It is used to obtain the option description
corresponding to its *UPPER CASED* option name argument. This is
primarily used in other macro definitions.
7.5.5 DISABLE_OPT_name - Disable an option
------------------------------------------
This macro is emitted if it is both settable and it can be disabled.
If it cannot be disabled, it may always be CLEAR-ed (see above).
The form of the macro will actually depend on whether the option is
equivalenced to another, and/or has an assigned handler procedure.
Unlike the `SET_OPT' macro, this macro does not allow an option
argument.
DISABLE_OPT_NAME;
7.5.6 ENABLED_OPT( ) - Is Option Enabled?
------------------------------------------------
Yields true if the option defaults to disabled and `ISUNUSED_OPT()'
would yield true. It also yields true if the option has been
specified with a disablement prefix, disablement value or the
`DISABLE_OPT_NAME' macro was invoked.
7.5.7 ERRSKIP_OPTERR - Ignore Option Errors
-------------------------------------------
When it is necessary to continue (return to caller) on option errors,
invoke this option. It is reversible. *Note ERRSTOP_OPTERR::.
7.5.8 ERRSTOP_OPTERR - Stop on Errors
-------------------------------------
After invoking this macro, if `optionProcess()' encounters an error,
it will call `exit(1)' rather than return. This is the default
processing mode. It can be overridden by specifying `allow-errors'
in the definitions file, or invoking the macro *Note ERRSKIP_OPTERR::.
7.5.9 HAVE_OPT( ) - Have this option?
--------------------------------------------
This macro yields true if the option has been specified in any
fashion at all. It is used thus:
if (HAVE_OPT( NAME )) {
;
}
7.5.10 ISSEL_OPT( ) - Is Option Selected?
------------------------------------------------
This macro yields true if the option has been specified either on the
command line or via a SET/DISABLE macro.
7.5.11 ISUNUSED_OPT( ) - Never Specified?
------------------------------------------------
This macro yields true if the option has never been specified, or has
been cleared via the `CLEAR_OPT()' macro.
7.5.12 OPTION_CT - Full Count of Options
----------------------------------------
The full count of all options, both those defined and those generated
automatically by AutoOpts. This is primarily used to initialize the
program option descriptor structure.
7.5.13 OPT_ARG( ) - Option Argument String
-------------------------------------------------
The option argument value as a pointer to string. Note that argument
values that have been specified as numbers are stored as numbers or
keywords. For such options, use instead the `OPT_VALUE_name' define.
It is used thus:
if (HAVE_OPT( NAME )) {
char* p = OPT_ARG( NAME );
;
}
7.5.14 OPT_NO_XLAT_CFG_NAMES - option name xlation
--------------------------------------------------
Invoking this macro will disable the translation of option names only
while processing configuration files and environment variables. This
must be invoked before the first call to `optionProcess'.. You need
not invoke this if your option definition file contains the attribute
assignment, "`no-xlate = opt-cfg;'".
7.5.15 OPT_NO_XLAT_OPT_NAMES - option name xlation
--------------------------------------------------
Invoking this macro will completely disable the translation of option
names. This must be invoked before the first call to
`optionProcess'. You need not invoke this if your option definition
file contains the attribute assignment, "`no-xlate = opt;'".
7.5.16 OPT_VALUE_name - Option Argument Value
---------------------------------------------
This macro gets emitted only for options that take numeric, keyword
or set membership arguments. The macro yields a word-sized integer
containing the enumeration, bit set or numeric value for the option
argument.
int opt_val = OPT_VALUE_name;
7.5.17 OPT_XLAT_CFG_NAMES - option name xlation
-----------------------------------------------
If `ENABLE_NLS' is defined, this macro will cause the translation of
option names to happen before starting the processing of
configuration files and environment variables. This will change the
recognition of options within the `$PROGRAMNAME' environment
variable, but will not alter the names used for setting options via
`$PROGRAMNAME_name' environment variables.
This must be invoked before the first call to `optionProcess'. You
might need to use this macro if your option definition file contains
the attribute assignment, "`no-xlate = opt;'" or "`no-xlate =
opt-cfg;'", and you have determined in some way that you wish to
override that.
7.5.18 OPT_XLAT_OPT_NAMES - option name xlation
-----------------------------------------------
If `ENABLE_NLS' is defined, translate the option names before
processing the command line options. Long option names may thus be
localized. (If the names were translated before configuration
processing, they will not be re-translated.)
This must be invoked before the first call to `optionProcess'. You
might need to use this macro if your option definition file contains
the attribute assignment, "`no-xlate = opt;'" and you have determined
in some way that you wish to override that.
7.5.19 RESTART_OPT( n ) - Resume Option Processing
--------------------------------------------------
If option processing has stopped (either because of an error or
something was encountered that looked like a program argument), it
can be resumed by providing this macro with the index `n' of the next
option to process and calling `optionProcess()' again.
7.5.20 SET_OPT_name - Force an option to be set
-----------------------------------------------
This macro gets emitted only when the given option has the `settable'
attribute specified.
The form of the macro will actually depend on whether the option is
equivalenced to another, has an option argument and/or has an assigned
handler procedure. If the option has an argument, then this macro
will too. Beware that the argument is not reallocated, so the value
must not be on the stack or deallocated in any other way for as long
as the value might get referenced.
If you have supplied at least one `homerc' file (*note program
attributes::), this macro will be emitted for the `--save-opts'
option.
SET_OPT_SAVE_OPTS( "filename" );
*Note automatic options::, for a discussion of the implications of
using this particular example.
7.5.21 STACKCT_OPT( ) - Stacked Arg Count
------------------------------------------------
When the option handling attribute is specified as `stack_arg', this
macro may be used to determine how many of them actually got stacked.
Do not use this on options that have not been stacked or has not been
specified (the `stack_arg' attribute must have been specified, and
`HAVE_OPT()' must yield TRUE). Otherwise, you will likely seg
fault.
if (HAVE_OPT( NAME )) {
int ct = STACKCT_OPT( NAME );
char** pp = STACKLST_OPT( NAME );
do {
char* p = *pp++;
do-things-with-p;
} while (--ct > 0);
}
7.5.22 STACKLST_OPT( ) - Argument Stack
----------------------------------------------
The address of the list of pointers to the option arguments. The
pointers are ordered by the order in which they were encountered in
the option presets and command line processing.
Do not use this on options that have not been stacked or has not been
specified (the `stack_arg' attribute must have been specified, and
`HAVE_OPT(