The autoconf manual has the following example for AS_HELP_STRING: AC_DEFUN([TEST_MACRO], [AC_ARG_WITH([foo], AS_HELP_STRING([--with-foo], [use foo (default is NO)]), [ac_cv_use_foo=$withval], [ac_cv_use_foo=no]) AC_CACHE_CHECK([whether to use foo], [ac_cv_use_foo], [ac_cv_use_foo=no])]) I've seen this idiom of using AC_CACHE_CHECK after AC_ARG_ENABLE and ACE_ARG_WITH elsewhere, but I do not really understand what benefits caching brings. For example, in the above ac_cv_use_foo is going to be set one way or the other before the call to AC_CACHE_CHECK, so the COMMANDS-TO-SET-IT will never be invoked. If the point is to print a message, why not use something like: AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether to use foo]) AC_MSG_RESULT($ac_cv_use_foo) ? --jtc -- J.T. Conklin _______________________________________________ Autoconf mailing list Autoconf@xxxxxxx http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/autoconf