newbie question about mkmf and dir_config

[Ralph Kon]

Please help a beginner! I'm trying to write my first c-extension, and I
don't understand the dir_config command. I need to include 2 .h headers
and a library for some equipment. Does the 'name' in dir_config('name')
refer to a directory, the header file, or the library? Do I need to
include multiple dir_config lines or multiple options in the command
line, one for each seperate file? The pickaxe section on this wasn't
written with total beginners in mind.
Thanks,
Ralph

 

[nobu]

Hi,

At Sun, 12 Mar 2006 08:13:36 +0900,
Ralph Kon wrote in [ruby-talk:183710]:

Please help a beginner! I'm trying to write my first c-extension, and I
don't understand the dir_config command. I need to include 2 .h headers
and a library for some equipment. Does the 'name' in dir_config('name')
refer to a directory, the header file, or the library? Do I need to
include multiple dir_config lines or multiple options in the command
line, one for each seperate file? The pickaxe section on this wasn't
written with total beginners in mind.

dir_config('foo') enables --with-foo-dir option, which implies
--with-foo-include and --with-foo-lib options too, so you don't
need multiple dir_config calls.

A dir_config option has the effect on all checking methods, so
you don't need multiple options in the command line.