On Jun 19, 2006, at 21:58, Russ Allbery via RT wrote:
> It looks like this is an intentional change.  From the Autoconf  
> NEWS file:
>
> ** AC_SUBST_FILE
>   The substitution now occurs only when @variable@ is on a line by  
> itself,
>   optionally surrounded by spaces and tabs.  The whole line is  
> replaced.

Grr.

> I think just removing the # markers would be a backward-compatible  
> change.

I think it would, actually.

Our process for generating makefiles on Windows starts with the same  
Makefile.in and runs it through a C program that does no autoconf- 
style @FOO@ substitutions.  However, if a line starts with @, it's  
replaced with a blank line.  We don't actually use this fact at all  
currently, so far as I know, but it would let us make this change.

(Or, if we switch from wconfig.c to wconfig.pl for generating the  
Windows makefiles, we could actually do real substitutions....)

Ken