AUTOM4TE(1)			 User Commands			   AUTOM4TE(1)

NAME
       autom4te - Generate files and scripts thanks to M4

SYNOPSIS
       autom4te [OPTION]... [FILES]

DESCRIPTION
       Run GNU M4 on the FILES, avoiding useless runs.	Output the traces if
       tracing, the frozen file if freezing, otherwise the expansion of the
       FILES.

       If some of the FILES are named 'FILE.m4f' they are considered to be M4
       frozen files of all the previous files (which are therefore not
       loaded).	 If 'FILE.m4f' is not found, then 'FILE.m4' will be used,
       together with all the previous files.

       Some files may be optional, i.e., will only be processed if found in
       the include path, but then must end in '.m4?';  the question mark is
       not part of the actual file name.

   Operation modes:
       -h, --help
	      print this help, then exit

       -V, --version
	      print version number, then exit

       -v, --verbose
	      verbosely report processing

       -d, --debug
	      don't remove temporary files

       -o, --output=FILE
	      save output in FILE (defaults to '-', stdout)

       -f, --force
	      don't rely on cached values

       -W, --warnings=CATEGORY
	      report the warnings falling in CATEGORY (comma-separated list
	      accepted)

       -l, --language=LANG
	      specify the set of M4 macros to use

       -C, --cache=DIRECTORY
	      preserve results for future runs in DIRECTORY

       --no-cache
	      disable the cache

       -m, --mode=OCTAL
	      change the non trace output file mode (0666)

       -M, --melt
	      don't use M4 frozen files

   Languages include:
       'Autoconf'
	      create Autoconf configure scripts

       'Autotest'
	      create Autotest test suites

       'M4sh' create M4sh shell scripts

       'M4sugar'
	      create M4sugar output

   Warning categories are:
       cross  cross compilation issues

       gnu    GNU coding standards (default in gnu and gnits modes)

       obsolete
	      obsolete features or constructions (default)

       override
	      user redefinitions of Automake rules or variables

       portability
	      portability issues (default in gnu and gnits modes)

       portability-recursive
	      nested Make variables (default with -Wportability)

       extra-portability
	      extra portability issues related to obscure tools

       syntax dubious syntactic constructs (default)

       unsupported
	      unsupported or incomplete features (default)

   -W also understands:
       all    turn on all the warnings

       none   turn off all the warnings

       no-CATEGORY
	      turn off warnings in CATEGORY

       error  treat all enabled warnings as errors

       The environment variables 'M4' and 'WARNINGS' are honored.

   Library directories:
       -B, --prepend-include=DIR
	      prepend directory DIR to search path

       -I, --include=DIR
	      append directory DIR to search path

   Tracing:
       -t, --trace=MACRO[:FORMAT]
	      report the MACRO invocations

       -p, --preselect=MACRO
	      prepare to trace MACRO in a future run

   Freezing:
       -F, --freeze
	      produce an M4 frozen state file for FILES

   FORMAT defaults to '$f:$l:$n:$%', and can use the following escapes:
       $$     literal $

       $f     file where macro was called

       $l     line where macro was called

       $d     nesting depth of macro call

       $n     name of the macro

       $NUM   argument NUM, unquoted and with newlines

       $SEP@  all arguments, with newlines, quoted, and separated by SEP

       $SEP*  all arguments, with newlines, unquoted, and separated by SEP

       $SEP%  all arguments, without newlines, unquoted, and separated by SEP

       SEP can be empty for the default (comma for @ and *, colon for %), a
       single character for that character, or {STRING} to use a string.

AUTHOR
       Written by Akim Demaille.

REPORTING BUGS
       Report bugs to <bug-autoconf@gnu.org>, or via Savannah:
       <https://savannah.gnu.org/support/?group=autoconf>.

COPYRIGHT
       Copyright © 2023 Free Software Foundation, Inc.	License
       GPLv3+/Autoconf: GNU GPL version 3 or later
       <https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>,
       <https://gnu.org/licenses/exceptions.html>
       This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
       There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

SEE ALSO
       autoconf(1), automake(1), autoreconf(1), autoupdate(1), autoheader(1),
       autoscan(1), config.guess(1), config.sub(1), ifnames(1), libtool(1).

       The full documentation for Autoconf is maintained as a Texinfo manual.
       To read the manual locally, use the command

	      info autoconf

       You can also consult the Web version of the manual at
       <https://gnu.org/software/autoconf/manual/>.

GNU Autoconf 2.72		 December 2023			   AUTOM4TE(1)