diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 05f4e8d4..ae725fc1 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -15,6 +15,10 @@ A complete list of bugs fixed in this version is available here:
http://sv.gnu.org/bugs/index.php?group=make&report_id=111&fix_release_id=105&set=custom
+* Allow a no-text-argument form of the $(file ...) function. Without a text
+ argument nothing is written to the file: it is simply opened in the
+ requested mode, then closed again.
+
* Change the fatal error for mixed explicit and implicit rules, that was
introduced in GNU make 3.82, to a non-fatal error. However, this syntax is
still deprecated and may return to being illegal in a future version of GNU
@@ -771,7 +775,7 @@ Version 3.69 (07 Nov 1993)
have reversed the change made in version 3.68 because it turned out to
cause a paradoxical situation in cases like:
- export variable = $(shell echo value)
+ export variable = $(shell echo value)
When Make attempted to put this variable in the environment for a
recipe, it would try expand the value by running the shell command
@@ -794,8 +798,8 @@ Version 3.68 (28 Jul 1993)
foo.a(b.o) bar.a(c.o) bar.a(d.o)'.
* A suffix rule `.X.a' now produces two pattern rules:
- (%.o): %.X # Previous versions produced only this.
- %.a: %.X # Now produces this as well, just like other suffixes.
+ (%.o): %.X # Previous versions produced only this.
+ %.a: %.X # Now produces this as well, just like other suffixes.
* The new flag `--warn-undefined-variables' says to issue a warning message
whenever Make expands a reference to an undefined variable.
@@ -865,15 +869,15 @@ Version 3.63 (22 Jan 1993)
no longer automatically put into the environments of the recipe lines that
Make runs. Instead, only variables specified on the command line or in
the environment are exported by default. To export others, use:
- export VARIABLE
+ export VARIABLE
or you can define variables with:
- export VARIABLE = VALUE
+ export VARIABLE = VALUE
or:
- export VARIABLE := VALUE
+ export VARIABLE := VALUE
You can use just:
- export
+ export
or:
- .EXPORT_ALL_VARIABLES:
+ .EXPORT_ALL_VARIABLES:
to get the old behavior. See the node `Variables/Recursion' in the manual
for a full description.
@@ -893,9 +897,9 @@ Version 3.63 (22 Jan 1993)
* A single `include' directive can now specify more than one makefile to
include, like this:
- include file1 file2
+ include file1 file2
You can also use shell file name patterns in an `include' directive:
- include *.mk
+ include *.mk
* The default directories to search for included makefiles, and for
libraries specified with `-lNAME', are now set by configuration.
@@ -1031,7 +1035,7 @@ Version 3.49
* The `wildcard' variable expansion function now expands ~ and ~USER.
* Messages indicating failed recipe lines now contain the target name:
- make: *** [target] Error 1
+ make: *** [target] Error 1
* The `-p' output format has been changed somewhat to look more like
makefile rules and to give all information that Make has about files.
diff --git a/doc/make.texi b/doc/make.texi
index 8fbdb614..21e32de2 100644
--- a/doc/make.texi
+++ b/doc/make.texi
@@ -1528,7 +1528,7 @@ A rule is always expanded the same way, regardless of the form:
@example
@var{immediate} : @var{immediate} ; @var{deferred}
- @var{deferred}
+ @var{deferred}
@end example
That is, the target and prerequisite sections are expanded immediately,
@@ -7516,7 +7516,7 @@ exist.
The syntax of the @code{file} function is:
@example
-$(file @var{op} @var{filename},@var{text})
+$(file @var{op} @var{filename}[,@var{text}])
@end example
The operator @var{op} can be either @code{>} which indicates overwrite
@@ -7528,8 +7528,9 @@ When the @code{file} function is expanded all its arguments are
expanded first, then the file indicated by @var{filename} will be
opened in the mode described by @var{op}. Finally @var{text} will be
written to the file. If @var{text} does not already end in a newline,
-a final newline will be written. The result of evaluating the
-@code{file} function is always the empty string.
+even if empty, a final newline will be written. If the @var{text}
+argument is not given, nothing will be written. The result of
+evaluating the @code{file} function is always the empty string.
It is a fatal error if the file cannot be opened for writing, or if
the write operation fails.
@@ -7556,7 +7557,7 @@ input file, you might write your recipe like this:
@example
@group
program: $(OBJECTS)
- $(file >$@@.in,) $(foreach O,$^,$(file >>$@@.in,$O))
+ $(file >$@@.in) $(foreach O,$^,$(file >>$@@.in,$O))
$(CMD) $(CMDFLAGS) @@$@@.in
@@rm $@@.in
@end group
diff --git a/function.c b/function.c
index 72ecb7ff..bb62187d 100644
--- a/function.c
+++ b/function.c
@@ -2154,18 +2154,18 @@ func_file (char *o, char **argv, const char *funcname UNUSED)
const char *err = strerror (errno);
OSS (fatal, reading_file, _("open: %s: %s"), fn, err);
}
- else
+ if (argv[1])
{
int l = strlen (argv[1]);
- int nl = (l == 0 || argv[1][l-1] != '\n');
+ int nl = l == 0 || argv[1][l-1] != '\n';
if (fputs (argv[1], fp) == EOF || (nl && fputc ('\n', fp) == EOF))
{
const char *err = strerror (errno);
OSS (fatal, reading_file, _("write: %s: %s"), fn, err);
}
- fclose (fp);
}
+ fclose (fp);
}
else
OS (fatal, reading_file, _("Invalid file operation: %s"), fn);
diff --git a/tests/scripts/functions/file b/tests/scripts/functions/file
index 9a4cd024..55eb58a0 100644
--- a/tests/scripts/functions/file
+++ b/tests/scripts/functions/file
@@ -30,6 +30,23 @@ x:;@cat file.out
unlink('file.out');
+# Test > with no content
+run_make_test(q!
+$(file >4touch)
+.PHONY:x
+x:;@cat 4touch
+!,
+ '', '');
+
+# Test >> with no content
+run_make_test(q!
+$(file >>4touch)
+.PHONY:x
+x:;@cat 4touch
+!,
+ '', '');
+unlink('4touch');
+
# Test > to a read-only file
touch('file.out');
chmod(0444, 'file.out');