Re: Cyclic dependency, please fix

[Alistair Crooks <agc%pkgsrc.org@localhost>]

On Sat, Apr 04, 2009 at 09:11:04AM +0100, David Laight wrote:
> On Sat, Apr 04, 2009 at 12:16:53AM +0200, Quentin Garnier wrote:
> > 
> >     In addition, csh(1) style {,} alternates have been implemented.
> 
> Please can I shoot the person you decided to use {...} (or (...)) for
> grouping and ':' as a separater in makefiles.

I'll put my hand up for the csh-style alternates syntax (it's a bit
difficult to do csh style things without usings its syntax), so looks
like you're going to have to put me up against the wall with Bill Joy.

The ':' separator came from FreeBSD, and we didn't change it, so I'll
take the bullet for that one, too. However, I'm not really into
gratuitous change just for the sake of it.

As to the other person in this thread who's trying to pick a fight
about the dearth and lack of documentation - please be quiet.  I get
the impression, when someone drags out a thread like this, that they
don't know what they are talking about.  The intention was obviously
to establish yourself as an authority on these things - the effect,
however, has been to make everyone wary of dealing with you, in any
way; this is sad, since you obviously have abilities and enthusiasm.
 
> It all rather stresses make's parsing of the makefile - where all
> these strings are really expected to be filenames!

Gotta use up those cycles somehow.

Best,
Alistair