Re: RFC: Changing AC_DEFINE

[Tim Van Holder]

On 17 Jun 2001 19:11:05 -0300, Alexandre Oliva wrote:
> On Jun  9, 2001, "Tim Van Holder" <address@hidden> wrote:
> 
> I'm afraid not even -E is a complete solution.  Try, for example:
> 
> echo -E -e '\a'
> 
> and note that `-e' isn't echoed, and you get a beep, not a literal
> `\a'.

Hmm - and annoyingly,

  echo -E -- -e '\a'

prints '-- -e \a' instead of dropping the '--' altogether (I'd consider
that a bash bug though).

> That's why libtool always uses:
> 
>   $echo "X$whatever" | $Xsed
> 
> where Xsed is:
> 
>   sed -e '1s/^X//'

and $echo is set to 'echo -E' when needed?  Otherwise, $whatever would
still end up being expanded, wouldn't it?

> But this is another problem of portable echoing.  It's amazing that
> something as simple as plain echoing can't be done easily :-(

I'm sure there's some axiom related to Murphy's law that states:

  "The simpler it is, the harder it is."

And if there isn't, let it henceforth be known as 'The Oliva Axiom'.

-- 
Tim Van Holder - Anubex N.V.
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