Add 'private' variable modifier, feature submitted by Ramon Garcia.

Rework the parser for variables to allow multiple modifiers and also
allow for variables and targets with modifier names, like "export" and
"private".

1 files changed, 24 insertions, 6 deletions

diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 15d3d6e..8004ab9 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 GNU make NEWS                                               -*-indented-text-*-
   History of user-visible changes.
-  1 April 2006
+  25 May 2009
 
 See the end of this file for copyrights and conditions.
 
@@ -14,12 +14,30 @@ Version 3.81.90
 * Compiling GNU make now requires a conforming ISO C 1989 compiler and
   standard runtime library.
 
+* The parser for variable assignments has been enhanced to allow multiple
+  modifiers ('export', 'override', 'private' (see below)) on the same line as
+  variables, including define/endef variables, and in any order.  Also, it is
+  possible to create variables and targets named as these modifiers.
+
+* WARNING: Backward-incompatibility!
+  As a result of the parser changes, two backward-compatibility issues exist:
+  first, a prerequisite containing an "=" cannot be escaped with a backslash
+  any longer.  You must create a variable containing an "=" and use that
+  variable in the prerequisite.  Second, variable names can no longer contain
+  whitespace, unless you put the whitespace in a variable and use the
+  variable.
+
 * New special variable: .RECIPEPREFIX allows you to reset the recipe
-  introduction character from the default (TAB) to something else.  The
-  first character of this variable value is the new recipe introduction
-  character.  If the variable is set to the empty string, TAB is used
-  again.  It can be set and reset at will; rules will be parsed
-  according to the current value.
+  introduction character from the default (TAB) to something else.  The first
+  character of this variable value is the new recipe introduction character.
+  If the variable is set to the empty string, TAB is used again.  It can be
+  set and reset at will; recipes will use the value active when they were
+  first parsed.
+
+* New variable modifier 'private': prefixing a variable assignment with the
+  modifier 'private' suppresses inheritance of that variable by
+  prerequisites.  This is most useful for target- and pattern-specific
+  variables.
 
 
 Version 3.81