RE: [Axiom-developer] build un-portability

[Bill Page]

Gaby,

On November 10, 2006 2:07 PM you wrote:
> 
> Waldek Hebisch <address@hidden> writes:
> 
> | Looking at document script I noticed that it normally uses
> | unquoted values, which may cause trouble with embedded
> | spaces. So I decided to try building axiom in a directory
> | which contained space in its name. Configure worked nice,
> | but build failed immediatly...
> 
> From my experience, pathnames with embedded space always
> cause problems for Unix-based tools.  I'm not worried about
> them at the moment, e.g. they are very low priority on my
> list of things to do in build-improvements. 
> 

I am afraid that you have also just stated the reason why
embedded space in file names always cause problems for unix
based tools - because the developers give this a very low
priority. But it is a serious issue when porting to both
Windows and MAC where spaces in file names are common. At
very least we should try not to write code that we know is
not portable.

Speaking of your "list of things to do in buid-improvments":
Have you already or are you planning to publish this list?
Since build-improvements has become very important to the
future of Axiom (at least in my opinion), I think it would
be good to have such a list so that we can see just how
close or how far away completion of this branch is. It might
also help other people who are working on build-improvements
to more efficiently contribute to the progress.

Regards,
Bill Page.