forgot to cc the list - oops.
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Tim Murphy <tnmur...@gmail.com> Date: 5 September 2013 14:30 Subject: Re: [bug #39943] Add an alternative parsing mode that regards space and tab as identical tokens To: "Paul D. Smith" <psm...@gnu.org> warning and finally enforcement of something. > > We have, since 3.82 was released, a way of avoiding this problem with > the .RECIPEPREFIX variable. I think that's the right way forward, > rather than trying to introduce heuristics based on some idea of "common > styles", which will invariably be incorrect in some situations. > > There are a lot of possible things make could warn about, that it > doesn't currently. I just think trying to have make attempt to > understand the semantics of makefiles (what the programmer "meant") will > be wrong often enough that it won't be considered useful by most. Sure, I'm just pointing out a problem that occurs endlessly and will continue to since the recipeprefix doesn't really address how people get into trouble - I mean they hit trouble long before they've thought of changing their prefix to >> or whatever. I keep coming across this particular little problem and one lives but really doesn't learn I think that such snags are truly because there is a bit too much freedom. It's like this thing in C: int i; for (i=0; i < 10; fred(); i++); printf("%d",i); Oh what a tyranny it would be if for() required braces instead of allowing you to do one-liners. Sure but it would make a class of stupid bugs vanish. Don't worry - I don't expect to convince anyone. :-) Regards, Tim -- You could help some brave and decent people to have access to uncensored news by making a donation at: http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/friends/ -- You could help some brave and decent people to have access to uncensored news by making a donation at: http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/friends/ _______________________________________________ Bug-make mailing list Bug-make@gnu.org https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/bug-make