Re: VPATH problem in snMakefile (Windows ME)

[Eric Christopher <echristo@cygnus.com>]

Here's the info out of README.W32:

GNU make handling of drive letters in pathnames (PATH, vpath, VPATH):

	There is a caveat that should be noted with respect to handling
	single character pathnames on Windows systems.	When colon is
	used in PATH variables, make tries to be smart about knowing when
	you are using colon as a separator versus colon as a drive
	letter.	 Unfortunately, something as simple as the string 'x:/'
	could be interpreted 2 ways: (x and /) or (x:/).
	Make chooses to interpret a letter plus colon (e.g. x:/) as a
	drive letter pathname.	If it is necessary to use single
	character directories in paths (VPATH, vpath, Path, PATH), the
	user must do one of two things:

	 a. Use semicolon as the separator to disambiguate colon. For
	    example use 'x;/' if you want to say 'x' and '/' are
	    separate components.

	 b. Qualify the directory name so that there is more than
	    one character in the path(s) used. For example, none
	    of these settings are ambiguous:

	      ./x:./y
	      /some/path/x:/some/path/y
	      x:/some/path/x:x:/some/path/y

	Please note that you are free to mix colon and semi-colon in the
	specification of paths.	 Make is able to figure out the intended
	result and convert the paths internally to the format needed
	when interacting with the operating system.
	You are encouraged to use colon as the separator character.
	This should ease the pain of deciding how to handle various path
	problems which exist between platforms.	 If colon is used on
	both Unix and Windows systems, then no ifdef'ing will be
	necessary in the makefile source.

-eric

On Fri, 19 Jan 2001, Ben Elliston wrote:

> Hi Charles,
> 
>    >    ``In the `VPATH' variable, directory names are separated by colons or
>    > blanks.  The order in which directories are listed is the order followed
>    > by `make' in its search.  (On MS-DOS and MS-Windows, semi-colons are
>    > used as separators of directory names in `VPATH', since the colon can
>    > be used in the pathname itself, after the drive letter.)''
> 
>    > So I'm not sure what the problem is with using blanks in the VPATH of
>    > generated Makefiles.
> 
>        This snippet is what I based my "Must use semi-colon separators
>    under Windows" claim. I assumed from the snippet that blanks, as well
>    as colons, may not be used as the separator. Although the snippet does
>    not explicitly state this, it seems to be implied, and the failure of
>    Make to cope with blank separator's backs the assumption up.
> 
> Are you sure?  I read it that semi-colons must be used in the place of
> colons on MS-DOS and Windows, but that blanks are okay.  Have you asked
> about the GNU make maintainer about it?
> 
> It could be that your port of Make has been broken.
> 
> Ben
> 
> 
>