Re: make's .SILENT _not_ obsolescent

[Paul D. Smith]

%% Dan Jacobson <address@hidden> writes:

  dj> The following message is a courtesy copy of an article
  dj> that has been posted to comp.unix.shell as well.

I can't imagine any even remote connection between this message and the
newsgroup comp.unix.shell, so I'm not including it in this reply.

  dj> Dear GNU Make team, please cease and desist from saying .SILENT is a
  dj> good for nothing old hag.  First, the Info page:

  dj> `.SILENT'
  dj>      If you specify prerequisites for `.SILENT', then `make' will not
  dj>      print the commands to remake those particular files before
  dj>      executing them.  The commands for `.SILENT' are not meaningful.

  dj>      If mentioned as a target with no prerequisites, `.SILENT' says not
  dj>      to print any commands before executing them.  This usage of
  dj>      `.SILENT' is supported only for historical compatibility.  We
  dj>      recommend you use the more selective ways to silence specific
  dj>      commands.  *Note Command Echoing: Echoing.  If you want to silence
  dj>      all commands for a particular run of `make', use the `-s' or
  dj>      `--silent' option (*note Options Summary::).

  dj> However lets say you have a target with many lines of commands after
  dj> it, like getp in http://jidanni.org/makefile .  Let's say we want to
  dj> make getp silent, but don't want to have to remember to use "make -s"
  dj> each time. Nor do we want to have to prefix each and every line of
  dj> getp with a "@".  We find that a simple ".SILENT: getp" fills our
  dj> wishes better than the "more flexible ways".  Therefore stop deriding
  dj> it in the documentation, please.

Start _reading_ the documentation, please.

It specifically says that "_This_ usage [...] is supported only for
historical compatibility".  And the usage it's talking about is clearly
the usage just described in the previous sentence; that is, using
.SILENT with no prerequisites.

Your example use is not impacted by this comment since you have
prerequisites.

-- 
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 Paul D. Smith <address@hidden>          Find some GNU make tips at:
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