summaryrefslogtreecommitdiff
path: root/doc
diff options
context:
space:
mode:
Diffstat (limited to 'doc')
-rw-r--r--doc/make.texi50
1 files changed, 47 insertions, 3 deletions
diff --git a/doc/make.texi b/doc/make.texi
index 2965540..b62fee0 100644
--- a/doc/make.texi
+++ b/doc/make.texi
@@ -1305,7 +1305,7 @@ specified by the existing contents of @file{mfile}.
Sometimes it is useful to have a makefile that is mostly just like
another makefile. You can often use the @samp{include} directive to
include one in the other, and add more targets or variable definitions.
-However, it is illegal for two makefiles to give different recipes for
+However, it is invalid for two makefiles to give different recipes for
the same target. But there is another way.
@cindex match-anything rule, used to override
@@ -1379,6 +1379,7 @@ chapters.
@cindex =, expansion
@cindex ?=, expansion
@cindex +=, expansion
+@cindex !=, expansion
@cindex define, expansion
Variable definitions are parsed as follows:
@@ -1388,6 +1389,7 @@ Variable definitions are parsed as follows:
@var{immediate} ?= @var{deferred}
@var{immediate} := @var{immediate}
@var{immediate} += @var{deferred} or @var{immediate}
+@var{immediate} != @var{immediate}
define @var{immediate}
@var{deferred}
@@ -1408,12 +1410,21 @@ endef
define @var{immediate} +=
@var{deferred} or @var{immediate}
endef
+
+define @var{immediate} !=
+ @var{immediate}
+endef
@end example
For the append operator, @samp{+=}, the right-hand side is considered
immediate if the variable was previously set as a simple variable
(@samp{:=}), and deferred otherwise.
+For the shell assignment operator, @samp{!=}, the right-hand side is
+evaluated immediately and handed to the shell. The result is stored in the
+variable named on the left, and that variable becomes a simple variable
+(and will thus be re-evaluated on each reference).
+
@subheading Conditional Directives
@cindex ifdef, expansion
@cindex ifeq, expansion
@@ -5402,6 +5413,7 @@ Several variables have constant initial values.
@cindex =
@cindex :=
@cindex ?=
+@cindex !=
To set a variable from the makefile, write a line starting with the
variable name followed by @samp{=} or @samp{:=}. Whatever follows the
@@ -5457,6 +5469,33 @@ FOO = bar
endif
@end example
+The shell assignment operator @samp{!=} can be used to execute a
+program and set a variable to its output. This operator first
+evaluates the right-hand side, then passes that result to the shell
+for execution. If the result of the execution ends in a newline, that
+one newline is removed; all other newlines are replaced by spaces.
+The resulting string is then placed into the named
+recursively-expanded variable. For example:
+
+@example
+hash != printf '\043'
+file_list != find . -name '*.c'
+@end example
+
+If the result of the execution could produce a @code{$}, and you don't
+intend what follows that to be interpreted as a make variable or
+function reference, then you must replace every @code{$} with
+@code{$$} as part of the execution. Alternatively, you can set a
+simply expanded variable to the result of running a program using the
+@code{shell} function call. @xref{Shell Function, , The @code{shell}
+Function}. For example:
+
+@example
+hash := $(shell printf '\043')
+var := $(shell find . -name "*.c")
+@end example
+
+
@node Appending, Override Directive, Setting, Using Variables
@section Appending More Text to Variables
@cindex +=
@@ -5977,7 +6016,7 @@ prog: a.o b.o
Due to the @code{private} modifier, @code{a.o} and @code{b.o} will not
inherit the @code{EXTRA_CFLAGS} variable assignment from the
-@code{progs} target.
+@code{prog} target.
@node Special Variables, , Suppressing Inheritance, Using Variables
@comment node-name, next, previous, up
@@ -6073,7 +6112,7 @@ foo
@end example
Note that assigning more than one target name to @code{.DEFAULT_GOAL} is
-illegal and will result in an error.
+invalid and will result in an error.
@vindex MAKE_RESTARTS @r{(number of times @code{make} has restarted)}
@item MAKE_RESTARTS
@@ -10444,6 +10483,11 @@ nonexistent file comes from SunOS 4 @code{make}. (But note that SunOS 4
@code{make} does not allow multiple makefiles to be specified in one
@code{-include} directive.) The same feature appears with the name
@code{sinclude} in SGI @code{make} and perhaps others.
+
+@item
+The @code{!=} shell assignment operator exists in many BSD of
+@code{make} and is purposefully implemented here to behave identically
+to those implementations.
@end itemize
The remaining features are inventions new in GNU @code{make}: