Subject: Re: printing expanded variables?
To: None <tech-toolchain@NetBSD.org>
From: Alan Barrett <apb@cequrux.com>
List: tech-toolchain
Date: 09/03/2003 09:36:10
On Tue, 02 Sep 2003, Simon J. Gerraty wrote:
> FOO=fu
> BAR=bar
> 
> FUBAR=${FOO} ${BAR}
> 
> $ make -V FUBAR
> ${FOO} ${BAR}
> $ make -v FUBAR
> fu bar

I suggest defining "-v" as a "verbose" flag.  It will not do much for now,
but could be made to do more later.  (See other thread about "-v" cancelling
the effect of "@" or .SILENT rules.)

Then let "-v -V VARNAME" mean "verbosely display the value of ${VARNAME)".
The output could be something like this:

	$ cat Makefile
	FOO=fu
	BAR=bar
	FUBAR=${FOO} ${BAR}
	$ make -V FUBAR
	${FOO} ${BAR}
	$ make -v -V FUBAR
	variable: FUBAR
	value:    ${FOO} ${BAR}
	expanded: fu bar

I prefer not to use "-E" (as was suggested in another message), because
it seems to be a waste of precious option letters.

--apb (Alan Barrett)