Possible errors in GNU Make manual

[Ryan Bissell]

Hi,

(I hope I have the appropriate email address.  Please advise if not.)


I had a need to read up on these error messages:

> ‘missing target pattern. Stop.’
> ‘multiple target patterns. Stop.’
> ‘target pattern contains no `%'. Stop.’
> ‘mixed implicit and static pattern rules. Stop.’


The manual explains all 4 of the above together at
https://www.gnu.org/software/make/manual/html_node/Error-Messages.html

(For purposes of argument clarity, I will address them out of order)

> These are generated for malformed static pattern rules.
> ...
> the fourth means that all three parts of the static pattern rule
> contain pattern characters (%)–only the first two parts should.

That is puzzling because the Make manual's own examples for Static
Pattern rules seem to demonstrate that only the *last* two parts
should.  (See 
https://www.gnu.org/software/make/manual/html_node/Static-Usage.html#Static-Usage)

The problems I see with the explanations of the first 3 error messages
are similar:

> The first means there’s no pattern in the target section of the rule;
> the second means there are multiple patterns in the target section;

Those 2 mention the target section, but I suspect they are really
meaning the target-pattern section.

> the third means the target doesn’t contain a pattern character (%);

This one might have the same problem, or it might just be talking
about the rule overall.

Regards,


</ryan>