Re: make and backslash-newline's

[Paul D. Smith]

%% "Alfred M\. Szmidt" <address@hidden> writes:

  pds> I still believe the change is localized and not widespread enough
  pds> to justify supporting both behaviors... hopefully I'm not
  pds> whistling past the graveyard.

  ams> I don't know if I should take your word for it, or if I should
  ams> compile lots of things (old and new) with the beta make and
  ams> report what breaks.

Well, so far with the beta version of of GNU make installed in the
Debian unstable release this is the first report of any Debian package
breaking due to this change in behavior.  I'm not a DD so I'm not sure
how it works, but I assume the buildd systems have the new version of
GNU make installed now that it's in unstable.

It's not clear to me what the problem is with having a late beta of GNU
make installed into Debian unstable.  If these changes are going to be
in the next release would it really have made much difference to wait
for that?

  ams> Do you have any date for a proper release of 3.81?

Yes: imminently.  I need to update some documentation but I've had
reports that beta4 is working properly for VMS, DOS, OS/2, Windows, and
various UNIX platforms.  I know there are still some issues but none of
them are simple enough to fix that I want to hold up this release for
them.  I'm going to be away until New Years so it will be a few more
days anyway.

  ams>  sed -e 's,- *:,$@ $(@:.udeps=.ustamp) $(@:.udeps=.uh) $(@:.udeps=.__h)\
  ams>                    $(@:.udeps=_server.c) $(@:.udeps=_server.h):,' \
  ams>      $(sed-remove-objpfx) > address@hidden

Yes, that'll definitely need to be changed :-/.

As you say, you don't need my help... but I'll just mention that if it
were me and I was already committed to GNU make (as it seems you are
here) I'd consider creating a variable that held all the possible
suffixes (depsuffix = ustamp uh __h _server.c _server.h), then replace
this list with a $(foreach ...) loop.  This lets you add new suffixes
very easily by updating that variable.  Without seeing the entire
makefile I can't tell, of course, but it might be that this suffix
variable could be used in similar contexts in other places in the
makefile.

-- 
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 Paul D. Smith <address@hidden>          Find some GNU make tips at:
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 "Please remain calm...I may be mad, but I am a professional." --Mad Scientist