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From: guy@sun.uucp (Guy Harris)
Newsgroups: net.unix
Subject: Re: Using sh in makefiles
Message-ID: <4611@sun.uucp>
Date: Sun, 29-Jun-86 02:43:48 EDT
Article-I.D.: sun.4611
Posted: Sun Jun 29 02:43:48 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 30-Jun-86 04:20:27 EDT
References: <1991@dalcs.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Lines: 31

> Would like advice on how to use shell commands (such as if...) in
> makefiles.  I know that it all has to be on one line, but the only way I
> can make a command work is through a kludge like:
> 
> test:
> 	echo "if x;then y;fi" | sh
> 
> which seems pretty roundabout.  Is this the only way to do it?

Nope.  If "make" recognizes any of a number of special characters in a
command line, it passes that command line to "sh" rather than running the
command itself.  ";" is one of those characters, so

	test:
		if x; then y; fi

is sufficient.

Furthermore, they must all be on one "line"; however, "make"s idea of a
"line" can be altered by using escaped newlines:

	test:
		if x; then \
			y; \
		fi

will work.
-- 
	Guy Harris
	{ihnp4, decvax, seismo, decwrl, ...}!sun!guy
	guy@sun.com (or guy@sun.arpa)