contrib: new, a directory for non-mainstream functionalities

This new 'contrib' hierarchy will be a good place were to move
implementation/support for obsolescent features we are not yet
ready to remove completely, or were to leave experimental or
third-party features to cook before their eventual inclusion in
the automake core.

* contrib: New directory.
* contrib/README: New file.
* contrib/Makefile.am: New file.
(EXTRA_DIST): Distribute README.

2 files changed, 47 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/contrib/Makefile.am b/contrib/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b49192317
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contrib/Makefile.am
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+## Process this file with automake to create Makefile.in
+
+## Makefile for Automake contrib.
+
+# Copyright (C) 2012 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+
+# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option)
+# any later version.
+
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+EXTRA_DIST = README
diff --git a/contrib/README b/contrib/README
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bbef72fbc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contrib/README
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+This is the 'contrib' directory of the GNU Automake distribution.
+
+Here you'll find additions to the Automake base distribution, in form of
+makefile fragments, m4 macros, scripts, documentation, et cetera.  Such
+addition that might be useful for a significant percentage of its general
+audience, but (for one reason or another) are not deemed appropriate for
+inclusion into the Automake core.
+
+There are several reasons for which a feature can be kept in contrib:
+
+  1. The long-term usefulness of the feature is debatable and uncertain;
+     on-field and real-word testing are necessary to prove or disprove
+     its usefulness, before the feature can be committed into the Automake
+     core (as doing so too early would later force us to continue the
+     support for backward-compatibility, even if the features proves
+     flawed or fails to attract widespread use).
+  
+  2. The APIs or overall design of the feature are still unstable, and
+     need on-field testing to iron warts and usability bugs, or uncover
+     potential flaws.
+
+  3. The feature was an historical one, mostly obsoleted but still used
+     "here and there" in the wild; so we want to to deprecate it and
+     remove it from the Automake core, but cannot remove it altogether,
+     for the sake of those still-existing usage.  So it gets moved in
+     contrib.
+