Re: depends_lib-append question

Thanks for such clear answers.

Mark

James Berry <[email protected]> writes:
>> I think this topic has been covered but I can't find it in the  
>> archives.
>> What is the purpose of using depends_lib-appends by itself?  I see  
>> some
>> ports use this with no variants and I don't understand why.
>
>In some ways using append makes the code more sequence independent,  
>for the case where there might be multiple lines that specify  
>dependencies. But in a port with no variants, it doesn't seem  
>particularly useful.
>
>> Also, someone has submitted a patch to the Mozart port because "the  
>> lib
>> dependencies get overwritten" that does this:
>>
>> +depends_build	     port:gmp port:zlib port:gdbm
>>  depends_lib-append   port:gmp port:zlib port:gdbm
>>  depends_lib          path:${prefix}/bin/emacs:emacs
>
>it looks to me like the depends_lib line would overwrite the  
>depends_lib-append line that precedes it. Which might explain the  
>reason they thought they had to add a depends_build line.
>
>depends_lib-append will add the specified ports to whatever  
>dependencies were previously there (including none). The subsequent  
>depends_lib will reset the dependencies to what is specified.
>
>> Can someone explain why that might be necessary?
>
>Sometimes, because portfiles are relatively declarative, it is easy  
>to forget that they are just a program that is being executed, in  
>order. Some actions, of course, are saved away to be run at the  
>appropriate time.