Re: Using empty $(else) variable for readability

[Rakesh Sharma]

Tony Theodore <tony.t <at> me.com> writes:

> 
> When there is an `else` in a complex section, it sometimes looks like:
> 
>     $(if <condition>, \
>         <do something> \
>     , \
>         <do something else>)
> 
> These can be deeply nested and the dangling `, \` can get really hard to 
parse. Constructs like:
> 
>     $(if <condition>, \
>         <do something> \
>     $(else), \
>         <do something else>)
> 
> help readability and seem to work. I know I can use any misspelling or 
mangling of `else`, or something like
> $(otherwise), but `else` is really easy to read and parse.
> 
> Is this a reasonable idea and is there any chance $(else) will have some 
defined value in the future?
> 

This is not at all a good idea, since it's very easy in make to slip in
a variable $(else) whose value whenever it's non-null will cause your
carefully constructed clauses to come crashing down.

--Rakesh