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* examples: Move from here... * doc/examples: ...to here. * Makefile.am (EXTRA_DIST, dist_pkgdata_DATA): Adjust. * README, doc/m4.texi, tests/builtins.at, tests/generate.awk, tests/others.at: Likewise. Signed-off-by: Gary V. Vaughan <gary@gnu.org>
49 lines
2.1 KiB
Plaintext
49 lines
2.1 KiB
Plaintext
include(`setup.m4')
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\set_author([René Seindal])
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\set_title([What is GNU m4])
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\divert(1)
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\p([GNU \tt(m4) is an implementation of the traditional Unix macro
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processor. GNU m4 is mostly compatible with the System V, Release 3
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version, and SVR4, although it has some extensions (for example,
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handling more than 9 positional parameters to macros). GNU \tt(m4)
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also has built-in functions for including files, running shell
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commands, doing arithmetic, etc.])
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\p([GNU \tt(m4) is a macro processor, in the sense that it copies its
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input to the output, expanding macros as it goes. Macros are either
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builtin or user-defined, and can take any number of arguments. Besides
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just doing macro expansion, m4 has builtin functions for including named
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files, running UNIX commands, doing integer arithmetic, manipulating
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text in various ways, recursion, etc... m4 can be used either as a
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front-end to a compiler, or as a macro processor in its own right.])
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\p([The m4 macro processor is widely available on all UNIXes. Usually,
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only a small percentage of users are aware of its existence. However,
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those who do often become commited users. The growing popularity of GNU
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Autoconf, which prerequires GNU m4 for generating the `configure'
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scripts, is an incentive for many to install it, while these people will
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not themselves program in m4.])
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\p([Some people found m4 to be fairly addictive. They first use m4 for
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simple problems, then take bigger and bigger challenges, learning how to
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write complex m4 sets of macros along the way. Once really addicted,
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users pursue writing of sophisticated m4 applications even to solve
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simple problems, devoting more time debugging their m4 scripts than
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doing real work. Beware that m4 may be dangerous for the health of
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compulsive programmers.])
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\p([Autoconf needs GNU m4 for generating `configure' scripts, but not for
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running them.])
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\p([GNU m4 is a Unix program. It is designed to work in a Unix-like
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environment. GNU m4 1.4 has, however, been ported to DJGPP, the GNU C
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compiler for DOS/Windows. These files are present in the
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\link(download.htm, download area).])
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\divert(0)\dnl
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\DO_LAYOUT([\undivert(1)])
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\divert(-1)
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