I have incorporated Guido's excellent suggestions into second drafts of
ax_python_config_var.m4 and ax_with_apxs.m4.
ax_python_config_var.m4 contains 3 macros which extract information
about the proper compilation environment for compiling extensions and
embeddings of the Python interpreter. These macros are not
particularly useful to the average Python extension module writer, but
are extraordinarily useful when writing applications that must interact
with Python in other, unusual ways (in my case, an Apache module
embedding *and* extending the Python interpreter).
I have also attached a second draft of ax_with_apxs.m4. This macro is
very useful for folks writing Apache modules -- Apache provides most of
the tools needed in the form of apxs itself (which is a wrapper around
libtool), but apxs is not usually in PATH, so it's helpful to have a
full-functioned macro to help find it. I would add a version-check to
this code, but I know no portable way to compare x.y.z-formatted
version numbers in shell..
I have also attached a final draft of ax_with_python.m4, which
represents only cosmetic changes to the 'dnl ..' headers since the
previous submission of that macro.
I have an ax_with_perl.m4 which has virtually the same functionality as
my ax_with_python.m4, but which overlaps slightly with the existing
ac_prog_perl_version.m4 already in the archive. Would y'all like to
see that too?
Dustin