GNU bug report logs - #12657
Can't have spaces in source files

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Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Hristo Venev <mustrumr97 <at> gmail.com>
To: bug-automake <at> gnu.org
Subject: Can't have spaces in source files
Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2012 15:30:48 +0300

Consider the following example:
    bin_PROGRAMS = prog
    prog_SOURCES = "a file.c" "another file.c"

This doesn't work and nor does any other way I have thought of.

Message #8 received at 12657 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Nick Bowler <nbowler <at> elliptictech.com>
To: Hristo Venev <mustrumr97 <at> gmail.com>
Cc: 12657 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#12657: Can't have spaces in source files
Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2012 15:31:10 -0400

On 2012-10-15 15:30 +0300, Hristo Venev wrote:
> Consider the following example:
>     bin_PROGRAMS = prog
>     prog_SOURCES = "a file.c" "another file.c"
> 
> This doesn't work and nor does any other way I have thought of.

Nope, it does not.  Unfortunately, make really does not work properly
with spaces in filenames, so Automake isn't going to be able to do
anything to help.  See §28.4 "Limitations on File Names" in the Automake
manual:

  https://www.gnu.org/software/automake/manual/automake.html#Limitations-on-File-Names

in particular:

  Source and installation file names like main.c are limited even
  further: they should conform to the POSIX/XOPEN rules described above

where the "POSIX/XOPEN rules" are described thusly:

  Portable packages should limit themselves to POSIX file names. These
  can contain ASCII letters and digits, ‘_’, ‘.’, and ‘-’. File names
  consist of components separated by ‘/’. File name components cannot
  begin with ‘-’. 

Cheers,
-- 
Nick Bowler, Elliptic Technologies (http://www.elliptictech.com/)

Message #11 received at 12657 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stefano Lattarini <stefano.lattarini <at> gmail.com>
To: Nick Bowler <nbowler <at> elliptictech.com>
Cc: 12657 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, Hristo Venev <mustrumr97 <at> gmail.com>
Subject: Re: bug#12657: Can't have spaces in source files
Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2012 10:19:43 +0200

tags 12657 + wontfix
close 12657
thanks

On 10/15/2012 09:31 PM, Nick Bowler wrote:
> On 2012-10-15 15:30 +0300, Hristo Venev wrote:
>> Consider the following example:
>>     bin_PROGRAMS = prog
>>     prog_SOURCES = "a file.c" "another file.c"
>>
>> This doesn't work and nor does any other way I have thought of.
> 
> Nope, it does not.  Unfortunately, make really does not work properly
> with spaces in filenames, so Automake isn't going to be able to do
> anything to help.  See §28.4 "Limitations on File Names" in the Automake
> manual:
> 
>   https://www.gnu.org/software/automake/manual/automake.html#Limitations-on-File-Names
> 
> in particular:
> 
>   Source and installation file names like main.c are limited even
>   further: they should conform to the POSIX/XOPEN rules described above
> 
> where the "POSIX/XOPEN rules" are described thusly:
> 
>   Portable packages should limit themselves to POSIX file names. These
>   can contain ASCII letters and digits, ‘_’, ‘.’, and ‘-’. File names
>   consist of components separated by ‘/’. File name components cannot
>   begin with ‘-’. 
> 
As Nick have correctly explained (BTW: thanks Nick for yet another
quick and detailed answer!), this Automake/make limitation is too much
ingrained to be removed or even tackled.  Thus I'm marling this report
as "won't fix", and closing it.

Regards,
  Stefano

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