Not true. Depends on the shell. However, I'm not sure which behavior would be *more* useful ("" or error). Both cases *are* useful. Perhaps both with some syntax differentiation, as you suggested.
Doug Sale
-----Original Message-----
From: Jose Alberto Fernandez [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2000 3:13 PM
To: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]'
Subject: RE: Expansion in includes
> From: James Duncan Davidson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
>
>
> On 12/6/00 4:29 AM, "Stefan Bodewig" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> > Where do you define that property? ${foo} will expand to ${foo} if
> > there is no property named foo.
>
> ${foo} should collapse to "" if it's not defined. This
> follows the env_var
> pattern that it was based on.
>
Not want to be pedantic, but al least in UNIX shell ${foo} gives an
error if not defined. One needs to use ${foo:-} to get the empty string.
What you are suggesting is closer to MAKE's behavior, AHHHHHGGGGGGG :-P
Jose Alberto
