Date: Sat, 20 Sep 1997 18:21:24 -0700 (PDT)
Message-Id: <199709210121.SAA23882@adit.ap.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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To: Seby Carta <cartas AT ita DOT flashnet DOT it>, djgpp AT delorie DOT com
From: Nate Eldredge <eldredge AT ap DOT net>
Subject: Re: Make problem .
Precedence: bulk

At 01:39  9/20/1997 +0200, Seby Carta wrote:
>When i modify, or create a make file with edit of dos, or notepad of
>win95, i frequently get error message from MAKE like this:
>
>************Missing separator . Stop.
>
>Why this error  if the syntax is correct ? later, if i cut and
>copy...and cancel and rewrite....many times....(the same lines...without
>changes) this error go away from me(like devil :o).
Make insists on lines that are actions being preceded by tabs. See this
simple rule:

foo.o : foo.c
        gcc -c -DFUNKY_JUNK foo.c
^^^^^^^^ This must be a tab character, NOT spaces.

Many editors, including DOS Edit, and apparently W95 Notepad, change tab
characters to some arbitrary number of spaces. I'm not sure offhand of one
that doesn't, except I know Emacs handles it correctly, and I bet RHIDE will
with the right options set.

Incidentally, this is addressed in FAQ section 22.15.

Nate Eldredge
eldredge AT ap DOT net