dnl @synopsis AC_PYTHON_DEVEL([version])
dnl
dnl Note: Defines as a precious variable "PYTHON_VERSION". Don't 
dnl override it in your configure.ac.
dnl
dnl This macro checks for Python and tries to get the include path to 
dnl 'Python.h'. It provides the $(PYTHON_CPPFLAGS) and $(PYTHON_LDFLAGS) 
dnl output variables.
dnl It also exports $(PYTHON_EXTRA_LIBS) and $(PYTHON_EXTRA_LDFLAGS)
dnl for embedding Python in your code.
dnl
dnl You can search for some particular version of Python by passing a
dnl parameter to this macro, for example ">= '2.3.1'", or "== '2.4'".
dnl Please note that you *have* to pass also an operator along
dnl with the version to match, and pay special attention to the 
dnl single quotes surrounding the version number. 
dnl Don't use "PYTHON_VERSION" for this: that environment variable is 
dnl declared as precious and thus reserved for the end-user.
dnl
dnl This macro should work for all versions of Python >= 2.1.0. As
dnl an end user, you can disable the check for the python version 
dnl by setting the PYTHON_NOVERSIONCHECK environment variable 
dnl to something else than the empty string.
dnl
dnl If you need to use this macro for an older Python version, please 
dnl contact the authors. We're always open for feedback.
dnl
dnl @category InstalledPackages
dnl @author Sebastian Huber <sebastian-huber@web.de>
dnl @author Alan W. Irwin <irwin@beluga.phys.uvic.ca>
dnl @author Rafael Laboissiere <laboissiere@psy.mpg.de>
dnl @author Andrew Collier <colliera@nu.ac.za>
dnl @author Matteo Settenvini <matteo@member.fsf.org>
dnl @author Horst Knorr <hk_classes@knoda.org> 
dnl @version 2006-02-05
dnl @license GPLWithACException

AC_DEFUN([AC_PYTHON_DEVEL],[
	#
	# Allow the use of a (user set) custom python version
	#
	AC_ARG_VAR([PYTHON_VERSION],[The installed Python
		version to use, for example '2.3'. This string 
		will be appended to the Python interpreter
		canonical name.])

	AC_PATH_PROG([PYTHON],[python[$PYTHON_VERSION]])
	if test -z "$PYTHON"; then
	   AC_MSG_ERROR([Cannot find python$PYTHON_VERSION in your system path])
	   PYTHON_VERSION=""
	fi

	#
	# Check for a version of Python >= 2.1.0
	#
	AC_MSG_CHECKING([for a version of Python >= '2.1.0'])
	ac_supports_python_ver=`$PYTHON -c "import sys, string; \
		ver = string.split(sys.version)[[0]]; \
		print ver >= '2.1.0'"`
	if test "$ac_supports_python_ver" != "True"; then
		if test -z "$PYTHON_NOVERSIONCHECK"; then
			AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
			AC_MSG_FAILURE([
This version of the AC@&t@_PYTHON_DEVEL macro
doesn't work properly with versions of Python before
2.1.0. You may need to re-run configure, setting the
variables PYTHON_CPPFLAGS, PYTHON_LDFLAGS, PYTHON_SITE_PKG,
PYTHON_EXTRA_LIBS and PYTHON_EXTRA_LDFLAGS by hand.
Moreover, to disable this check, set PYTHON_NOVERSIONCHECK
to something else than an empty string.
])
		else
			AC_MSG_RESULT([skip at user request])
		fi
	else 
		AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
	fi
	
	#
	# if the macro parameter ``version'' is set, honour it
	#
	if test -n "$1"; then
		AC_MSG_CHECKING([for a version of Python $1])
		ac_supports_python_ver=`$PYTHON -c "import sys, string; \
			ver = string.split(sys.version)[[0]]; \
			print ver $1"`
		if test "$ac_supports_python_ver" = "True"; then
	   	   AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
		else
			AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
			AC_MSG_ERROR([this package requires Python $1. 
If you have it installed, but it isn't the default Python
interpreter in your system path, please pass the PYTHON_VERSION 
variable to configure. See ``configure --help'' for reference.
])
			PYTHON_VERSION=""
		fi
	fi

	#
	# Check if you have distutils, else fail
	#
	AC_MSG_CHECKING([for the distutils Python package])
	ac_distutils_result=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils" 2>&1`
	if test -z "$ac_distutils_result"; then
		AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
	else
		AC_MSG_RESULT([no])
		AC_MSG_ERROR([cannot import Python module "distutils".
Please check your Python installation. The error was:
$ac_distutils_result])
		PYTHON_VERSION=""
	fi

	#
	# Check for Python include path
	#
	AC_MSG_CHECKING([for Python include path])
	if test -z "$PYTHON_CPPFLAGS"; then
		python_path=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils.sysconfig; \
           		print distutils.sysconfig.get_python_inc();"`
		if test -n "${python_path}"; then
		   	python_path="-I$python_path"
		fi
		PYTHON_CPPFLAGS=$python_path
	fi
	AC_MSG_RESULT([$PYTHON_CPPFLAGS])
	AC_SUBST([PYTHON_CPPFLAGS])

	#
	# Check for Python library path
	#
	AC_MSG_CHECKING([for Python library path])
	if test -z "$PYTHON_LDFLAGS"; then
		# (makes two attempts to ensure we've got a version number
		# from the interpreter)
		py_version=`$PYTHON -c "from distutils.sysconfig import *; \
			from string import join; \
			print join(get_config_vars('VERSION'))"`
		if test "$py_version" == "[None]"; then
			if test -n "$PYTHON_VERSION"; then
				py_version=$PYTHON_VERSION
			else
				py_version=`$PYTHON -c "import sys; \
					print sys.version[[:3]]"`
			fi
		fi

		PYTHON_LDFLAGS=`$PYTHON -c "from distutils.sysconfig import *; \
			from string import join; \
			print '-L' + get_python_lib(0,1), \
		      	'-lpython';"`$py_version
	fi		
	AC_MSG_RESULT([$PYTHON_LDFLAGS])
	AC_SUBST([PYTHON_LDFLAGS])

	#
	# Check for site packages
	#
	AC_MSG_CHECKING([for Python site-packages path])
	if test -z "$PYTHON_SITE_PKG"; then
		PYTHON_SITE_PKG=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils.sysconfig; \
		        print distutils.sysconfig.get_python_lib(0,0);"`
	fi
	AC_MSG_RESULT([$PYTHON_SITE_PKG])
	AC_SUBST([PYTHON_SITE_PKG])

	#
	# libraries which must be linked in when embedding
	#
	AC_MSG_CHECKING(python extra libraries)
	if test -z "$PYTHON_EXTRA_LIBS"; then
	   PYTHON_EXTRA_LIBS=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils.sysconfig; \
                conf = distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var; \
                print conf('LOCALMODLIBS'), conf('LIBS')"`
	fi
	AC_MSG_RESULT([$PYTHON_EXTRA_LIBS])
	AC_SUBST(PYTHON_EXTRA_LIBS)

	#
	# linking flags needed when embedding
	#
	AC_MSG_CHECKING(python extra linking flags)
	if test -z "$PYTHON_EXTRA_LDFLAGS"; then
		PYTHON_EXTRA_LDFLAGS=`$PYTHON -c "import distutils.sysconfig; \
			conf = distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var; \
			print conf('LINKFORSHARED')"`
	fi
	AC_MSG_RESULT([$PYTHON_EXTRA_LDFLAGS])
	AC_SUBST(PYTHON_EXTRA_LDFLAGS)

	#	
	# final check to see if everything compiles alright
	#
	AC_MSG_CHECKING([consistency of all components of python development environment])
	AC_LANG_PUSH([C])
	# save current global flags
	LIBS="$ac_save_LIBS $PYTHON_LDFLAGS"
	CPPFLAGS="$ac_save_CPPFLAGS $PYTHON_CPPFLAGS"
	AC_TRY_LINK([
		#include <Python.h>
	],[
		Py_Initialize();
	],[pythonexists=yes],[pythonexists=no])

	AC_MSG_RESULT([$pythonexists])

        if test ! "$pythonexists" = "yes"; then
	   AC_MSG_ERROR([
  Could not link test program to Python. Maybe the main Python library has been
  installed in some non-standard library path. If so, pass it to configure, 
  via the LDFLAGS environment variable.
  Example: ./configure LDFLAGS="-L/usr/non-standard-path/python/lib"
  ============================================================================
   ERROR!
   You probably have to install the development version of the Python package
   for your distribution.  The exact name of this package varies among them.
  ============================================================================
	   ])
	  PYTHON_VERSION=""
	fi
	AC_LANG_POP
	# turn back to default flags
	CPPFLAGS="$ac_save_CPPFLAGS"
	LIBS="$ac_save_LIBS"

	#
	# all done!
	#
])