Use GNU autotools to call node-gyp to build a native node module

README

# If
# (1) Your project is built using the GNU autotools.
# (2) Your project depends on a native node.js module which it ships with
# (3) You find autotools hard
#
# Then you might find this gist useful for building your node module alongside your main project during ./configure and make
# 
# Simpler than it sounds. :)
#

configure.ac

# Check for node and node-gyp

AC_CHECK_PROG(HAVE_NODE, [node], [node])
AC_CHECK_PROG(HAVE_NODE_GYP, [node-gyp], [node-gyp])
test -z "$HAVE_NODE"     && AC_MSG_ERROR([Could not find node.js. Please make sure you have it installed])
test -z "$HAVE_NODE_GYP" && AC_MSG_ERROR([Could not find node_gyp. Please make sure you have it installed])

# Run node-gyp configure during ./configure

(cd $(NODE_MODULE_DIR) && node-gyp configure)

Makefile.am

bin_PROGRAMS = some_node_module

some_node_module$(EXEEXT):
  -cd $(NODE_MODULE_DIR) && node-gyp build


clean-local:
  -cd $(NODE_MODULE_DIR) && node-gyp clean