Provided by: autoproject_0.20-5_all bug

NAME

       autoproject - create a skeleton source package for a new program

SYNOPSIS

       autoproject  [options] [name]

DESCRIPTION

       autoproject  simplifies  the  creation of a source package for a new program.  The idea is
       that you execute autoproject just once when you start a new project.  It will create a new
       directory and populate it with standard files, customized for the new project.

       autoproject asks for the name of the new program (unless it is given on the command line),
       a program description and other data. It then creates a subdirectory and populates it with
       a  C  program  with command line parsing, a simple manual page and texinfo page, and other
       standard files.  The package is intended to follow the GNU programming standards.  It uses
       autoconf(1) to configure itself, and automake(1) to create the Makefile.

       The  new  program  will  always  support  the  options  "--help" and "--version", and will
       optionally support certain standard options such as "--quiet".

       Optionally, autoproject can set the new project up to use the argp  command  line  parsing
       interface that is included in GNU C library 2.1.

       Alternatively,  the new project can use a command line parser generator.  autoproject will
       create an appropriate options description file, and the generated  Makefile  will  include
       the  commands to invoke the parser generator as needed.  Currently, autogen(1) and clig(1)
       are supported.

       At present autoproject supports main programs only in c, sh, or c++.  For other  languages
       mentioned,  autoproject  only adds macros in configure.in so autoconf(1) will look for the
       relevant compilers.   (You  may  add  skeleton  files  supporting  other  languages.   See
       CUSTOMIZATION, below.)

       The version number for the new program is initialized as 0.1.0, and is set in configure.in
       (only).  It is available in C programs as the  macro  VERSION,  and  in  the  Makefile  as
       $(VERSION).

       If,  after  populating  the new directory, there exists an executable file named postinst,
       then  it  is  executed.   If  it  executes  successfully,  then  autoproject  deletes  it.
       Currently,  autoproject  does not supply a file postinst.  However, a user can install one
       to perform any necessary actions.  (See CUSTOMIZATION, below.)

OPTIONS

       If the GNU version of getopt(1)  is  installed,  autoproject  will  accept  the  following
       options.   Otherwise,  autoproject will use getopts(1) to parse its arguments, and it will
       not longer accept long options or options with optional arguments.  If autoproject is used
       to generate a shell-based project, it will still be dependent on GNU getopt.

       -a, --author name
              Supply the name of the new program's author.

       -e, --email addr
              Supply the email address of the author.

       -o, --option opt
              Add  opt  to the list of long options accepted by the program.  Only these standard
              options are accepted here: dry-run no-warn output brief quiet verbose directory  cd
              interactive.

       -d, --description text
              Supply the short program description

       -i, --interface type
              Specify  the  type  of  user  interface.   The  default  is  cli,  for command line
              interface.  (Currently, only cli is supported.)

       -l, --language lang
              Add lang to the list of languages used.  These  languages  are  supported  to  some
              extent: c sh c++ fortran lex yacc awk.  autoproject supports languages in two ways.
              It assumes the first language mentioned will be used  for  the  main  program,  and
              searches  for  a skeleton program file in the corresponding section of the library.
              At present autoproject supports main programs only in c, sh,  or  c++.   For  other
              languages  mentioned,  autoproject  only adds macros in configure.in so autoconf(1)
              will look for the relevant compilers.  (You may add skeleton files supporting other
              languages.  See CUSTOMIZATION, below.)

       -L[DIR]
              Prepend  DIR  to  the  list  of  directories  to  search  for skeleton files.  (See
              CUSTOMIZATION, below.)  If DIR is missing, then the path is cleared.

       -n, --name name
              Specify the name of the new program.

       -p, --parser prog
              Use the external command line parser or parser generator  prog.   Currently,  these
              are supported: argp, autogen(1) and clig(1).

       --debug
              Leave intermediate files.

       -h, --help
              Show summary of options.

       -v, --version
              Show version of program.

CUSTOMIZATION

       The autoproject package includes a set of skeleton files which are usually installed under
       /usr/share/autoproject.  It selects which subdirectories to use  based  on  the  interface
       type, primary language, and parser generator chosen by the user.

       The  user  may  create  a similar directory tree under $HOME/.autoproject, and populate it
       with  additional  files  and/or  replacements  for  the  standard   files.    The   system
       administrator  may  create a similar tree under /etc/autoproject.  autoproject searches in
       $HOME/.autoproject first, then /etc/autoproject, and finally in  the  standard  tree.   It
       uses only the first file it finds of a given name.

       For  example,  if  a user wants to add a paragraph to every README file that points to his
       web    page,    he     could     copy     /usr/share/autoproject/all/all/all/README     to
       ~/.autoproject/all/all/all/README and make that change.  Of course, any file overridden in
       this way will not inherit updates when the next version of autoproject is installed.

       If a skeleton file contains any  of  these  variables,  autoproject  will  substitute  the
       corresponding value:

       #NAME# Program name in lower case.

       #CAPNAME#
              Program name in all caps.

       #DESCRIPTION#
              A short description of the program.

       #AUTHOR#
              Program author.

       #EMAIL#
              Author's email address.

       #EEMAIL#
              Author's email address with the `@' doubled (necessary in a .texinfo file).

       #DATE# Today's date, in this format: "November 24, 2001".

       #ISODATE#
              Today's date, in ISO 8601 format: "2001-11-24".

       #YEAR# The four digit year.

       Note  that  these substitutions are made when autoproject runs.  Substitutions can also be
       made at program configuration or build time by suitable makefile  commands  (for  example,
       using the makefile variable VERSION, or the output of date(1)).

       If  you  write a generally applicable skeleton file, such as a main program for a language
       currently not supported, please consider contributing it to autoproject.

FILES

       $HOME/.autoproject
       /etc/autoproject
       /usr/share/autoproject
       Directory trees containing skeleton files.

SEE ALSO

       autoconf(1), automake(1), autogen(1), clig(1), `Parsing Program Options with Argp' in `The
       GNU C Library Reference Manual' (type `info libc argp')

AUTHOR

       James R. Van Zandt <jrvz@comcast.net>.

                                        September 16, 2002                         AUTOPROJECT(1)