How to specify a variant to depends_lib in a portfile?

[Joshua Root]

On 2011-8-17 08:22 , Ryan Schmidt wrote:
> On Aug 16, 2011, at 16:54, Mike O'Brien wrote:
> 
>> 	We are building a virtual port, which install some 40 (!) ports via depends_lib "port:" entries.  Now we find that we must install one particular variant of one of the ports.  Is there a way to specify that in a depends-lib entry?
> 
> No, this is not possible:
> 
> https://trac.macports.org/ticket/126

There has been considerable discussion in the past on this topic, and it
would take too long to recap it all here. The bottom line is that, as
things stand, a variant is the wrong tool to use if some other port
depends on the feature it adds. Ports are the only objects that can be
relied on to satisfy dependencies, so the only real solutions are to
make the variant's functionality always on, or create a port (or
subport) that installs it.

- Josh