libtool: Motivation

1 
1 1.1 Motivation for writing libtool
1 ==================================
1 
1 Since early 1995, several different GNU developers have recognized the
1 importance of having shared library support for their packages.  The
1 primary motivation for such a change is to encourage modularity and
1 reuse of code (both conceptually and physically) in GNU programs.
1 
1    Such a demand means that the way libraries are built in GNU packages
1 needs to be general, to allow for any library type the package installer
1 might want.  The problem is compounded by the absence of a standard
1 procedure for creating shared libraries on different platforms.
1 
1    The following sections outline the major issues facing shared library
1 support in GNU, and how shared library support could be standardized
1 with libtool.
1 
1    The following specifications were used in developing and evaluating
1 this system:
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1   1. The system must be as elegant as possible.
1 
1   2. The system must be fully integrated with the GNU Autoconf and
1      Automake utilities, so that it will be easy for GNU maintainers to
1      use.  However, the system must not require these tools, so that it
1      can be used by non-GNU packages.
1 
1   3. Portability to other (non-GNU) architectures and tools is
1      desirable.
1