[bug #35231] Backward compatibility: Versions prior to 3.81 allowed spaces in variable names

[anonymous]

URL:
  <http://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?35231>

                 Summary: Backward compatibility: Versions prior to 3.81
allowed spaces in variable names
                 Project: make
            Submitted by: None
            Submitted on: Tue 03 Jan 2012 11:48:26 PM UTC
                Severity: 3 - Normal
              Item Group: Bug
                  Status: None
                 Privacy: Public
             Assigned to: None
             Open/Closed: Open
         Discussion Lock: Any
       Component Version: 3.82
        Operating System: Any
           Fixed Release: None
           Triage Status: None

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Details:

I ran across an ancient makefile previously used with gmake 3.74.  The
following idiom works on 3.81:

  set something = something else

  all:
    @echo ${set something}

My guess is the 'set something' line is a carry-over from some even older
build system; it didn't cause an error in make, so it was ignored.

Personally I'd be inclined to ditch allowing spaces in variable names, but in
case there's a good reason to keep it around I figured I'd write it up.




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