SERRER@ODIN.NRC.CA (Martin Serrer) (05/14/91)
Hello Makefile experts...
Please excuse the dumb question but this is driving me crazy...
Given the following specification in a Makefile:
wave: wave.o wagen.o
${CC} ${LDFLAGS} ${OBJS} -o $@ ${LIBS}
If the whitespace before the ${CC} is a <tab>, everything is fine. But try
using <spaces> and the following 'helpful' error appears...
Make: file `Makefile' line 11: must be a separator (: or ::) for rules. Stop.
Could someone explain this. I do a lot of cutting and pasting between windows
and <tabs> automagically become <spaces> in the destination window so I run into
this problem frequently. I've RTFM and yes it mumbles something about 'commands
may appear on lines beginning with a tab immediately following a dependency
line' etc.
Was this an unfortunate choice of syntax back in pre-history and is cast in
stone or can something be done about it. I always thought that 'white space is
white space is white space'
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Martin Serrer Bldg.M32, Montreal Rd. |
| 613-993-9442 National Research Council of Canada,|
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+------------------- Software Rusts, Rust never Sleeps -----------------------+portuesi@tweezers.esd.sgi.com (Michael Portuesi) (05/15/91)
In article <76A4A8F2A29F002123@NRCNET.NRC.CA>, SERRER@ODIN.NRC.CA (Martin Serrer) writes: ||> wave: wave.o wagen.o |> ${CC} ${LDFLAGS} ${OBJS} -o $@ ${LIBS} |> |> If the whitespace before the ${CC} is a <tab>, everything is |> fine. But try |> using <spaces> and the following 'helpful' error appears... Correct. The line containing the commands to be executed if the target needs to be rebuilt must begin with a tab, or else make will barf. |> Was this an unfortunate choice of syntax back in pre-history and |> is cast in |> stone or can something be done about it. It was an unfortunate choice of syntax back and pre-history and is cast in stone. Sorry. |>I always thought that 'white space is |> white space is white space' To all civil language parsers, it is. -- __ \/ Michael Portuesi Silicon Graphics, Inc. portuesi@sgi.com "High Eagle Road is tacky. Trust us. We're queer. We understand these things." -- Jonathan Katz
jackr@dblues.wpd.sgi.com (John "Jack" Repenning) (05/15/91)
In article <1991May14.185121.8893@zola.esd.sgi.com> portuesi@tweezers.esd.sgi.com (Michael Portuesi) writes:
It was an unfortunate choice of syntax back and pre-history and is
cast in stone. Sorry.
There is, in fact a story (possibly apocryphal) on the matter.
At some time or other, Steve Feldman, who wrote make originally, is
said to have realized that this rule requiring a tab here was really a
bad idea - but too late to change it, since "he already had ten
users"!
Jack Repenning 9U-530 jackr@wpd.sgi.com
Silicon Graphics, Inc. Off:(415) 335-7477
Systems Software Technology Center Fax:(415) 969-2314scotts@qsp.COM (Scott Simpers) (05/16/91)
In article <76A4A8F2A29F002123@NRCNET.NRC.CA> SERRER@ODIN.NRC.CA (Martin Serrer) writes: >Hello Makefile experts... > > Please excuse the dumb question but this is driving me crazy... > > Was this an unfortunate choice of syntax back in pre-history and is cast in >stone or can something be done about it. I always thought that 'white space is >white space is white space' That's the best description of it I've heard yet. Yes, you MUST have a TAB there, as you found out. NO, there is no good reason I've ever heard for distinguishing between types of whitespace (anybody got one?). Live and learn. This is part of what somebody once called "the lore of unix". Scott Simpers Quality Software Products voice: (213)410-0303 5711 W Slauson Avenue Suite 240 fax: (213)410-0124 Culver City, CA 90230 ...uunet!qsp!scotts