[bug #65273] Potential bug in the info function?

[Paul D. Smith]

Update of bug#65273 (group make):

       Component Version:                   4.4.1 => SCM                    

    _______________________________________________________

Follow-up Comment #3:

It's usually a good idea to check the NEWS file for things that might cause
differences in behavior; in this case see:

https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/make.git/tree/NEWS#n68

I understand what the Emacs makefile is trying to do: by adding this invalid
variable reference, which used to be silently ignored, they are adding
indentation.  For example this:

$(info          foo)

shows the string:

foo

because leading whitespace is ignored for all functions and arguments in GNU
Make.

But this:

$(info $         foo)

shows the string:

        foo

since the invalid variable "$ " ends the leading whitespace and expands to
nothing.

Unfortunately I can't think of a good way to continue to allow this to work,
other than simply disabling the warning by default which I'd really prefer to
not do.

The problem is that (a) there is no way to create a variable name containing,
or consisting of, whitespace, and (b) modifying the warning check to allow a
variable of just a single space without comment seems to me to be allowing an
extremely common potential error to be silently accepted.

I wonder how common this particular little trick is, out in the world.  Of
course it could easily be changed to do something like:

. :=
$(info $.          foo)

but it does involve a change.


    _______________________________________________________

Reply to this item at:

  <https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?65273>

_______________________________________________
Message sent via Savannah
https://savannah.gnu.org/