Re: Wrong order of preprocessor and compiler flags

On 2022-03-24, Zack Weinberg <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Thu, Mar 24, 2022, at 11:13 AM, Nick Bowler wrote:
>> However, GNU coding standards state that CFLAGS should be the last
>> item on compilation commands, so it would appear that this is a case
>> where traditional "make" behaviour contrasts with GNU standards (which
>> Automake is following).
>
> Huh.  Is there a rationale given in the coding standard?  If not, do you
> have any idea who might remember the rationale?

The GNU standards just say this[1]:

  "Put CFLAGS last in the compilation command, after other variables
   containing compiler options, so the user can use CFLAGS to override
   the others."

When it comes to C(PP)FLAGS the concept of "overriding" options is a
bit hairy -- many C compiler options do not have direct methods to undo
their effects -- but whatever.

[1] https://www.gnu.org/prep/standards/standards.html#Command-Variables