RE: Enhancement of conditionals?

[Shah, Bijal]

> %% "Shah, Bijal" <address@hidden> writes:
>
> The best I can think of for today is something like this:
>
>   FRED_0 = $(call xxx,xxx)
>   FRED_1 = $(call yyy,yyy)
>   FRED_2 = $(call zzz,zzz)
>     ...
>
>
>   FRED_PROCESS = $(FRED_$(FRED))
>
>   ifndef FRED_PROCESS
>     $(error FRED = $(FRED) is not a valid value.)
>   endif

This isn't bad - it would work for most cases, but you might get readability issues. Certainly worth further investigation!

 
>   sb>    caseeq (variable)
>
> Mm.  I don't think this would be good.
>
> I'd be willing to add in an elseif keyword so you don't have to have
> nested endifs.

I think this would actually be the best compromise solution for now if Guile will be encorporated. It would improve the readability and maintainability for 3.8x makefiles.

 
> I don't want to add huge numbers of functions or preprocessor statements
> to make itself, because in a future release of GNU make you will have
> the option of linking it with Guile which will provide a fully capable
> scripting language for GNU make.
>
> I think it's better to reuse something that already exists rather than
> writing a brand new language that's not like anything else already out
> there.

I agree, though I have mixed feelings about a lisp-like [Scheme] language being the scripting language. I've used lisp in the dim and distant past and I've found many C/C++/Java programmers don't get to grips with it easily. It might prove to be more of a barrier to acceptance than expected. I don't know what others views on that are, however. I can't promote anything else at the moment either though.

Is a make incorporating scripting likely to be 4.00?

Regards,
Bijal

=======================================================
Information contained in this email message is intended only for
use of the individual or entity named above. If the reader of this
message is not the intended recipient, or the employee or agent
responsible to deliver it to the intended recipient, you are hereby
notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this
communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this
communication in error, please immediately notify us by email
to address@hidden and destroy the original message.