Re: [PATCH] maint: use a wildcard to include all syntax check exceptions in dist

[Jim Meyering]

Pádraig Brady wrote:
> I noticed a couple of syntax check exception files
> missing from the distribution tarball. Specifically
> .x-sc_require_config_h_first and .x-sc_error_message_uppercase
>
> The attached patch changes things so we don't have to
> maintain the list.

Good catch.
I've suspected there were a few like that, but
didn't really care, since it's not very useful to run
"make syntax-check" from an unpacked-tarball directory.

However, using a wildcard there would violate a pretty important rule:

  - don't distribute wildcard-selected file names

Otherwise, you can accidentally distribute .x-sc_foo~,
or .x-sc_some-experimental-or-rejected-change

I haven't looked closely enough to say yet, but
consider two alternatives:

  - stop distributing those .x-sc_ files altogether, or

  - add a check to ensure that all version-controlled
      .x-sc_ names are in that list

I've done something like the latter with this rule in tests/check.mk:

    # Ensure that all version-controlled executable files are listed in TESTS.
    # Collect test names from the line matching /^TESTS = \\$$/ to the following
    # one that does not end in '\'.
    ...
    vc_exe_in_TESTS: Makefile


>>From 2f6339766a0f32ab709b2ab2fc24c67b5b071cce Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
> From: =?utf-8?q?P=C3=A1draig=20Brady?= <address@hidden>
> Date: Thu, 4 Jun 2009 18:31:16 +0100
> Subject: [PATCH] maint: use a wildcard to include all syntax check exceptions 
> in dist
>
> * Makefile.am: A couple of syntax check exception files were
> missing from the distribution target. Specifically
> .x-sc_require_config_h_first and .x-sc_error_message_uppercase
> Instead of adding them, simplify the list to a wildcard which
> `make` will expand when it resolves its prerequisites.