Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!crdgw1!uunet!maserati!scotts
From: scotts@qsp.COM (Scott Simpers)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sgi
Subject: Re: Makefile whitespace... a neophyte question.
Message-ID: <1992@maserati.qsp.UUCP>
Date: 15 May 91 19:18:58 GMT
References: <76A4A8F2A29F002123@NRCNET.NRC.CA>
Sender: news@qsp.COM
Distribution: na
Organization: Quality Software Products, LA, CA
Lines: 18

In article <76A4A8F2A29F002123@NRCNET.NRC.CA> SERRER@ODIN.NRC.CA (Martin Serrer) writes:
>Hello Makefile experts...
>
>  Please excuse the dumb question but this is driving me crazy...
>
>  Was this an unfortunate choice of syntax back in pre-history and is cast in
>stone or can something be done about it. I always thought that 'white space is
>white space is white space'

That's the best description of it I've heard yet.  Yes, you MUST have a TAB
there, as you found out.  NO, there is no good reason I've ever heard for 
distinguishing between types of whitespace (anybody got one?).  Live and
learn.  This is part of what somebody once called "the lore of unix".

Scott Simpers
Quality Software Products                    voice: (213)410-0303
5711 W Slauson Avenue  Suite 240             fax: (213)410-0124
Culver City, CA  90230                       ...uunet!qsp!scotts