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From: lois@hpfcdc.HP.COM (Lois Gerber)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: make and curly braces
Message-ID: <5980064@hpfcdc.HP.COM>
Date: 15 Mar 90 21:56:41 GMT
Organization: HP Ft. Collins, Co.
Lines: 16


 Does anyone know the historical reasons behind the following
 reference on the make(1) man page:

	The -n option specifies printing of a command line without
	execution;  however, if the command line has the string
	$(MAKE) in it . . . . . . . the line is always executed.
	. . . . . Note that this feature does not work of MAKE
	is enclosed in braces, as in ${MAKE}. 

 What was the past significance of curly braces in makefiles?

 Thanks for whatever information anyone has.

 Lois Gerber
 Hewlett Packard, Fort Collins