interpreter: compiler: Allow array for the prefix kwarg

docs/markdown/snippets/compiler_prefix_property_array.md

@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+## Compiler check functions `prefix` kwargs accepts arrays
+
+The `prefix` kwarg that most compiler check functions support
+now accepts an array in addition to a string. The elements of the
+array will be concatenated separated by a newline.
+
+This makes it more readable to write checks that need multiple headers
+to be included:
+
+```meson
+cc.check_header('GL/wglew.h', prefix : ['#include <windows.h>', '#include <GL/glew.h>'])
+```
+
+instead of
+
+```meson
+cc.check_header('GL/wglew.h', prefix : '#include <windows.h>\n#include <GL/glew.h>'])
+```

docs/yaml/objects/compiler.yaml

@@ -78,13 +78,15 @@ methods:
   description: You have found a bug if you can see this!
   kwargs:
     prefix:
-      type: str
+      type: str | list[str]
       description: |
         Used to add `#include`s and other things that are required
-        for the symbol to be declared. System definitions should be
+        for the symbol to be declared. Since 1.0.0 an array is accepted
-        passed via compiler args (eg: `_GNU_SOURCE` is often required for
+        too. When an array is passed, the items are concatenated together
-        some symbols to be exposed on Linux, and it should be passed via
+        separated by a newline.
-        `args` keyword argument).
+        System definitions should be passed via compiler args
+        (eg: `_GNU_SOURCE` is often required for some symbols to be exposed
+        on Linux, and it should be passed via `args` keyword argument).
 
 - name: _no_builtin_args
   returns: void

mesonbuild/interpreter/compiler.py

@@ -142,7 +142,13 @@ _INCLUDE_DIRS_KW: KwargInfo[T.List[build.IncludeDirs]] = KwargInfo(
     default=[],
     listify=True,
 )
-_PREFIX_KW = KwargInfo('prefix', str, default='')
+_PREFIX_KW: KwargInfo[str] = KwargInfo(
+    'prefix',
+    (str, ContainerTypeInfo(list, str)),
+    default='',
+    since_values={list: '1.0.0'},
+    convertor=lambda x: '\n'.join(x) if isinstance(x, list) else x)
+
 _NO_BUILTIN_ARGS_KW = KwargInfo('no_builtin_args', bool, default=False)
 _NAME_KW = KwargInfo('name', str, default='')