RE: Problems with echo. (echo period)

[Keith Huntington]

> > From: Aaron Shatters <address@hidden>
> > 
> > ##########################################
> > Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
> > (C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.
> > P:\>echo""
> > 'echo""' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
> > operable program or batch file.
> 
> I don't know what is happening on your system, because `echo""' works
> for me (on Windows XP) as it does for Dave.  It works both from the
> Command Prompt window and from within a Makefile if I first say
> SHELL=cmd.exe in it and run MinGW compiled Make 3.81.

Dunno about others, but I can confirm Aaron's results here.
Echo""  does NOT work from the command line, and I'm using
XP Pro SP2.

 ##########################################
Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

D:\Documents and Settings\khuntington>echo""
'echo""' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

D:\Documents and Settings\khuntington>echo"
'echo"' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

D:\Documents and Settings\khuntington>echo.


D:\Documents and Settings\khuntington>

 ##########################################
 
Obviously some differences in behavior amongst different
systems, but I have no idea what.  As you can see above,
I also tried with just a single double-quote, with the 
same failure, and finally did the "echo." test for sanity.

FWIW, I happen to agree with Aaron that it would be a 
nice thing to have Make support this odd CMD.EXE behavior,
since Make already goes out of its way to support many of
the other internal CMD.EXE commands.

Keith