[bug #16389] Defaults for Objective-C

[Dave Korn]

Follow-up Comment #5, bug #16389 (project make):

> why not just add the rules into your makefile if you need them?

  Not easy to do if you're talking about a large number of projects.

> I do realize this means that any makefile that uses objective-C
> needs to be changed, but the same is true for any number of 
> other languages that make doesn't provide default rules for.

  Obj-C is provided by GNU CC.  It makes sense for GNU Make to provide
builtin support for the entire family of languages supported by GNU CC.

> Further, even if we do change this for the next release of GNU
> make that won't be out for some months, then it will be many
> months more before that version is considered wide spread 

  That's a problem for end users and distro creators, not for the GNU Make
maintainer; they can all deal with it however they wish, but adding the patch
gives them the option.

> And finally, of course, requiring default rules just means
> makefiles are even more tightly tied to GNU make 

  I don't think this is a real problem either.  Anyone who is building ObjC
is almost certainly using Gnu Make.  After all, this would be a reason to
remove all the string functions and other GNU-specific features, but in fact,
it is not GNU Make's purpose to be a subset of all other make implementations;
it intends to be standardised enough to correctly process non-GNU makefiles,
while adding enhancements useful to support the technical and political goals
of the GNU project.

  I vote for acceptance.

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