Re: $(shell case ...) -- problem with embedded parens

[Paul D. Smith]

%% Noel Yap <address@hidden> writes:

  ny> Hmmm, what's the difference?  Or, which info file describes the
  ny> differences?

There is no difference, except that when you use ${} make matches on
closing braces whereas when you use $() make matches on closing
parenthesis.

Since the Bourne shell case statement contains unmatched right
parenthesis, it doesn't work so well to use the $() format:

  $(shell case foo in foo) echo match ;; esac)
   ^                     ^
                        matches the opening paren

But:

  ${shell case foo in foo) echo match ;; esac}
                         ^
                        doesn't match the opening brace.

This is described in the GNU make manual section "Basics of Variable
References".

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