Re: gnu-make style

[Paul D. Smith]

%% "Don" <duckunique@yahoo.com> writes:

  d> In the latest O'Reilly Gnu Make book, the author
  d> uses the $(eval $(call ...)) pattern often.  It seems to
  d> offer subroutine-like functionality.

  d> Is this a preferred pattern in the community?

Well, if you need that functionality it's preferred.  I wouldn't use it
just for the sake of using it, myself.  The main problem is it makes
your makefiles much less portable.  But, if you don't mind that it's
OK.  Certainly there are certain things that it's difficult or
impossible to do without eval, in particular.

A secondary consideration is that there are some bugs in GNU make 3.80
in the eval function which can bite you in certain situations.  They
have all been resolved (that I know of) for the next release though.

-- 
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 Paul D. Smith <psmith@gnu.org>          Find some GNU make tips at:
 http://www.gnu.org                      http://make.paulandlesley.org
 "Please remain calm...I may be mad, but I am a professional." --Mad Scientist