add prefer_static built-in option

By default, meson will try to look for shared libraries first before
static ones. In the meson.build itself, one can use the static keyword
to control if a static library will be tried first but there's no simple
way for an end user performing a build to switch back and forth at will.
Let's cover this usecase by adding an option that allows a user to
specify if they want dependency lookups to try static or shared
libraries first. The writer of the meson.build can manually specify the
static keyword where appropriate which will override the value of this
option.

10 files changed, 28 insertions, 7 deletions

diff --git a/docs/markdown/Builtin-options.md b/docs/markdown/Builtin-options.md
index c524fe492..1e24144cf 100644
--- a/docs/markdown/Builtin-options.md
+++ b/docs/markdown/Builtin-options.md
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ machine](#specifying-options-per-machine) section for details.
 | layout {mirror,flat}                 | mirror        | Build directory layout                                         | no             | no                |
 | optimization {0, g, 1, 2, 3, s}      | 0             | Optimization level                                             | no             | no                |
 | pkg_config_path {OS separated path}  | ''            | Additional paths for pkg-config to search before builtin paths | yes            | no                |
+| prefer_static                        | false         | Whether to try static linking before shared linking            | no             | no                |
 | cmake_prefix_path                    | []            | Additional prefixes for cmake to search before builtin paths   | yes            | no                |
 | stdsplit                             | true          | Split stdout and stderr in test logs                           | no             | no                |
 | strip                                | false         | Strip targets on install                                       | no             | no                |
diff --git a/docs/markdown/Configuring-a-build-directory.md b/docs/markdown/Configuring-a-build-directory.md
index 1eb8478b7..34bde4d99 100644
--- a/docs/markdown/Configuring-a-build-directory.md
+++ b/docs/markdown/Configuring-a-build-directory.md
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ a sample output for a simple project.
       install_umask   0022          [preserve, 0000-0777]                                      Default umask to apply on permissions of installed files
       layout          mirror        [mirror, flat]                                             Build directory layout
       optimization    3             [0, g, 1, 2, 3, s]                                         Optimization level
+      prefer_static   false         [true, false]                                              Whether to try static linking before shared linking
       strip           false         [true, false]                                              Strip targets on install
       unity           off           [on, off, subprojects]                                     Unity build
       warning_level   1             [0, 1, 2, 3]                                               Compiler warning level to use
diff --git a/docs/markdown/snippets/prefer_static.md b/docs/markdown/snippets/prefer_static.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c63323b5f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/markdown/snippets/prefer_static.md
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+## New prefer_static built-in option
+
+Users can now set a boolean, `prefer_static`, that controls whether or not
+static linking should be tried before shared linking. This option acts as
+strictly a preference. If the preferred linking method is not successful,
+then Meson will fallback and try the other linking method. Specifically
+setting the `static` kwarg in the meson.build will take precedence over
+the value of `prefer_static` for that specific `dependency` or
+`find_library` call.
diff --git a/mesonbuild/coredata.py b/mesonbuild/coredata.py
index 162a01b4d..48881f0a9 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/coredata.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/coredata.py
@@ -1229,6 +1229,7 @@ BUILTIN_CORE_OPTIONS: 'MutableKeyedOptionDictType' = OrderedDict([
     (OptionKey('install_umask'),   BuiltinOption(UserUmaskOption, 'Default umask to apply on permissions of installed files', '022')),
     (OptionKey('layout'),          BuiltinOption(UserComboOption, 'Build directory layout', 'mirror', choices=['mirror', 'flat'])),
     (OptionKey('optimization'),    BuiltinOption(UserComboOption, 'Optimization level', '0', choices=['0', 'g', '1', '2', '3', 's'])),
+    (OptionKey('prefer_static'),   BuiltinOption(UserBooleanOption, 'Whether to try static linking before shared linking', False)),
     (OptionKey('stdsplit'),        BuiltinOption(UserBooleanOption, 'Split stdout and stderr in test logs', True)),
     (OptionKey('strip'),           BuiltinOption(UserBooleanOption, 'Strip targets on install', False)),
     (OptionKey('unity'),           BuiltinOption(UserComboOption, 'Unity build', 'off', choices=['on', 'off', 'subprojects'])),
diff --git a/mesonbuild/dependencies/__init__.py b/mesonbuild/dependencies/__init__.py
index cdadd562c..bbf31ad11 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/dependencies/__init__.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/dependencies/__init__.py
@@ -142,8 +142,8 @@ There are a couple of things about this that still aren't ideal. For one, we
 don't want to be reading random environment variables at this point. Those
 should actually be added to `envconfig.Properties` and read in
 `environment.Environment._set_default_properties_from_env` (see how
-`BOOST_ROOT` is handled). We can also handle the `static` keyword. So
-now that becomes:
+`BOOST_ROOT` is handled). We can also handle the `static` keyword and the
+`prefer_static` built-in option. So now that becomes:
 
 ```python
 class FooSystemDependency(ExternalDependency):
@@ -156,7 +156,9 @@ class FooSystemDependency(ExternalDependency):
             self.is_found = False
             return
 
-        static = Mesonlib.LibType.STATIC if kwargs.get('static', False) else Mesonlib.LibType.SHARED
+        get_option = environment.coredata.get_option
+        static_opt = kwargs.get('static', get_option(Mesonlib.OptionKey('prefer_static'))
+        static = Mesonlib.LibType.STATIC if static_opt else Mesonlib.LibType.SHARED
         lib = self.clib_compiler.find_library(
             'foo', environment, [os.path.join(root, 'lib')], libtype=static)
         if lib is None:
diff --git a/mesonbuild/dependencies/base.py b/mesonbuild/dependencies/base.py
index 97a19be2c..8e4d556a0 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/dependencies/base.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/dependencies/base.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ from enum import Enum
 
 from .. import mlog, mesonlib
 from ..compilers import clib_langs
-from ..mesonlib import LibType, MachineChoice, MesonException, HoldableObject
+from ..mesonlib import LibType, MachineChoice, MesonException, HoldableObject, OptionKey
 from ..mesonlib import version_compare_many
 #from ..interpreterbase import FeatureDeprecated, FeatureNew
 
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ class ExternalDependency(Dependency, HasNativeKwarg):
             self.version_reqs = [self.version_reqs]
         self.required = kwargs.get('required', True)
         self.silent = kwargs.get('silent', False)
-        self.static = kwargs.get('static', False)
+        self.static = kwargs.get('static', self.env.coredata.get_option(OptionKey('prefer_static')))
         self.libtype = LibType.STATIC if self.static else LibType.PREFER_SHARED
         if not isinstance(self.static, bool):
             raise DependencyException('Static keyword must be boolean')
diff --git a/mesonbuild/dependencies/misc.py b/mesonbuild/dependencies/misc.py
index 5292d028b..2edb0c71a 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/dependencies/misc.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/dependencies/misc.py
@@ -612,7 +612,7 @@ def shaderc_factory(env: 'Environment',
         shared_libs = ['shaderc']
         static_libs = ['shaderc_combined', 'shaderc_static']
 
-        if kwargs.get('static', False):
+        if kwargs.get('static', env.coredata.get_option(mesonlib.OptionKey('prefer_static'))):
             c = [functools.partial(PkgConfigDependency, name, env, kwargs)
                  for name in static_libs + shared_libs]
         else:
diff --git a/mesonbuild/dependencies/scalapack.py b/mesonbuild/dependencies/scalapack.py
index 707e69850..656978df2 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/dependencies/scalapack.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/dependencies/scalapack.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import functools
 import os
 import typing as T
 
+from ..mesonlib import OptionKey
 from .base import DependencyMethods
 from .base import DependencyException
 from .cmake import CMakeDependency
@@ -35,7 +36,8 @@ def scalapack_factory(env: 'Environment', for_machine: 'MachineChoice',
     candidates: T.List['DependencyGenerator'] = []
 
     if DependencyMethods.PKGCONFIG in methods:
-        mkl = 'mkl-static-lp64-iomp' if kwargs.get('static', False) else 'mkl-dynamic-lp64-iomp'
+        static_opt = kwargs.get('static', env.coredata.get_option(OptionKey('prefer_static')))
+        mkl = 'mkl-static-lp64-iomp' if static_opt else 'mkl-dynamic-lp64-iomp'
         candidates.append(functools.partial(
             MKLPkgConfigDependency, mkl, env, kwargs))
 
diff --git a/mesonbuild/interpreter/compiler.py b/mesonbuild/interpreter/compiler.py
index 185d1516a..c5db6aa3a 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/interpreter/compiler.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/interpreter/compiler.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ from ..interpreterbase import (ObjectHolder, noPosargs, noKwargs,
                                FeatureNew, disablerIfNotFound,
                                InterpreterException)
 from ..interpreterbase.decorators import ContainerTypeInfo, typed_kwargs, KwargInfo, typed_pos_args
+from ..mesonlib import OptionKey
 from .interpreterobjects import (extract_required_kwarg, extract_search_dirs)
 from .type_checking import REQUIRED_KW, in_set_validator, NoneType
 
@@ -592,10 +593,13 @@ class CompilerHolder(ObjectHolder['Compiler']):
 
         search_dirs = extract_search_dirs(kwargs)
 
+        prefer_static = self.environment.coredata.get_option(OptionKey('prefer_static'))
         if kwargs['static'] is True:
             libtype = mesonlib.LibType.STATIC
         elif kwargs['static'] is False:
             libtype = mesonlib.LibType.SHARED
+        elif prefer_static:
+            libtype = mesonlib.LibType.PREFER_STATIC
         else:
             libtype = mesonlib.LibType.PREFER_SHARED
         linkargs = self.compiler.find_library(libname, self.environment, search_dirs, libtype)
diff --git a/mesonbuild/mesonlib/universal.py b/mesonbuild/mesonlib/universal.py
index 055b8f0fa..1213be647 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/mesonlib/universal.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/mesonlib/universal.py
@@ -2022,6 +2022,7 @@ _BUILTIN_NAMES = {
     'install_umask',
     'layout',
     'optimization',
+    'prefer_static',
     'stdsplit',
     'strip',
     'unity',