[PATCH] dist: don't bother putting README first in $(DIST_COMMON)

[Stefano Lattarini]

Comments on some of our automake-time pre-processing of $(DIST_COMMON)
said that it was done in order to "put README first because it then
becomes easier to make a Usenet-compliant shar file".  But such a
format is hardly relevant anymore, and not worth the (albeit small)
added complexity.

* automake.in (handle_dist): Don't sort @dist_common.
(for_dist_common): Delete this function, is not used anymore.
* lib/am/distdir.am (DISTFILES): Remove obsolete comment.
* t/distcom4.sh: Adjust.

Signed-off-by: Stefano Lattarini <stefano.lattar...@gmail.com>
---

I noticed this while doing some refactoring/tweaking in Automake-NG, and
I think this could be applied to mainstream Automake as well.
Objections?  Otherwise, I'll push this to master by tomorrow.

Regards,
  Stefano

 automake.in       |   22 +---------------------
 lib/am/distdir.am |    1 -
 t/distcom4.sh     |    3 ---
 3 files changed, 1 insertion(+), 25 deletions(-)

diff --git a/automake.in b/automake.in
index 555aadb..72ca956 100644
--- a/automake.in
+++ b/automake.in
@@ -3696,26 +3696,6 @@ sub user_phony_rule ($)
 }
 
 
-# $BOOLEAN
-# &for_dist_common ($A, $B)
-# -------------------------
-# Subroutine for &handle_dist: sort files to dist.
-#
-# We put README first because it then becomes easier to make a
-# Usenet-compliant shar file (in these, README must be first).
-#
-# FIXME: do more ordering of files here.
-sub for_dist_common
-{
-    return 0
-       if $a eq $b;
-    return -1
-       if $a eq 'README';
-    return 1
-       if $b eq 'README';
-    return $a cmp $b;
-}
-
 # handle_dist
 # -----------
 # Handle 'dist' target.
@@ -3826,7 +3806,7 @@ sub handle_dist ()
   # Files to distributed.  Don't use ->value_as_list_recursive
   # as it recursively expands '$(dist_pkgdata_DATA)' etc.
   my @dist_common = split (' ', rvar ('DIST_COMMON')->variable_value);
-  @dist_common = uniq (sort for_dist_common (@dist_common));
+  @dist_common = uniq @dist_common;
   variable_delete 'DIST_COMMON';
   define_pretty_variable ('DIST_COMMON', TRUE, INTERNAL, @dist_common);
 
diff --git a/lib/am/distdir.am b/lib/am/distdir.am
index e27b650..3a5e1a5 100644
--- a/lib/am/distdir.am
+++ b/lib/am/distdir.am
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 ## You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
 ## along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
-## DIST_COMMON comes first so that README can be the very first file.
 DISTFILES = $(DIST_COMMON) $(DIST_SOURCES) $(TEXINFOS) $(EXTRA_DIST)
 
 if %?TOPDIR_P%
diff --git a/t/distcom4.sh b/t/distcom4.sh
index dc37fcf..6f9d871 100755
--- a/t/distcom4.sh
+++ b/t/distcom4.sh
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 # This tries to distribute a file from a subdirectory, without
 # Makefile in that directory.  distcom5.test performs the same
 # test with a Makefile in the directory.
-# Also make sure that README appears first in DIST_COMMON.
 
 . ./defs || Exit 1
 
@@ -71,7 +70,5 @@ cat dc.txt # For debugging.
 
 test 1 = `grep tests dc.txt | wc -l`
 grep configure dc.txt
-# README must come first.
-grep 'DIST_COMMON = README' Makefile.in
 
 :
-- 
1.7.9.5