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Re: intermediate files


From: ali hagigat
Subject: Re: intermediate files
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2010 10:19:50 +0330

Paul Smith <address@hidden>
reply-to        address@hidden
to      ali hagigat <address@hidden>
cc      address@hidden
date    Mon, Oct 25, 2010 at 9:17 AM
subject Re: intermediate files
>> > This is a frequently used English idiom.  "Leave something alone"
>> > means not to touch it in any way.  In this case, it means Make will
>> > not try to create B if it is an intermediate file that does not exist.
>> but the manual is saying:
>> "...then make can leave well enough alone."
>> You mentioned that, leave something alone is an idiom in English but
>> where is "something" here?
>
> http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/leave+well+enough+alone
>

Now the sentence, "then make can leave well enough alone" made sense.
It was an idiom,  "leave well enough alone" returns to something which
has been mentioned earlier...It means b in the manual. But it was
really hard to understand. I was looking for "something" some where
between "leave well enough alone" words and was guessing the manual
may have some misprint!...

"...It won’t bother updating b..."
I think it means it will not spend energy to update b. For a non
English speaker newbie who is reading the manual, he is much
interested to know what make will do at last, waiting for the word
after "will", but when he sees "bother", all his energy is wasted! It
is not the final action that make will do at last. It is just a fun
with a reader to say that make will not spend energy! The critical
moment is the moment that one is waiting for an action word after
"will"....Sorry to take up your time Paul , it may not worth talking
about this further and please forgive me. (I thought it might help).



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