Re: Order of variable definition and rule matters!?

[Paul D. Smith]

%% Jens Schmidt <address@hidden> writes:

  js> I cannot believe that this is a bug because it seems so basic.
  js> And other makes behave identical.  However, I didn't found a
  js> single line of docu on that in the online-docu (I would have
  js> expected it, or at least a link to it, in section "Using
  js> Variables", subsection "References" or "Flavors".)

There is an explanation in "Using Variables" (at least) but you probably
didn't recognize because you're thinking about it incorrectly.

  js> Maybe its just my strange way of thinking.  I thought that if it
  js> is the same for recursively expanded variables to write
  js>   FOO = $(BAZ)
  js>   BAZ = baz
  js> or
  js>   BAZ = baz
  js>   FOO = $(BAZ)
  js> then this would apply to the order of variable definition and
  js> rule, too.  Apparently, it does not.  See below.

The order of definition of recursively expanded variables _doesn't_
matter.

Recursively expanded variables are not expanded until they're evaluated.
So, what _does_ matter is when the variable is _evaluated_.

The "Using Variables" page says this:

     Variables and functions in all parts of a makefile are expanded when
  read, except for the shell commands in rules, the right-hand sides of
  variable definitions using `=', and the bodies of variable definitions
  using the `define' directive.

So, in your makefile:

  js> baz: $(FOO); @echo $(FOO):$^
  js> FOO = foo

The $(FOO) reference in the prerequisite list doesn't meet any of the
criteria for the "except" clause, above, so it falls under the initial
clause: it's expanded when read.

When make reads that line, it hasn't yet read the next line, so the
value of FOO is empty.  If you enable --warn-undefined-variables you
would see that you'd get a warning about this.

A more detailed explanation of expansion rules in make is available in
the ``How `make' Reads a Makefile'' section of the manual.

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