Makefile whitespace... a neophyte question.

[Scott Simpers]

In article <76A4A8F2A29F002123 at NRCNET.NRC.CA> SERRER at 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
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