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(make.info)Make Control Functions

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Functions That Control Make
===========================

   These functions control the way make runs.  Generally, they are used
to provide information to the user of the makefile or to cause make to
stop if some sort of environmental error is detected.

`$(error TEXT...)'
     Generates a fatal error where the message is TEXT.  Note that the
     error is generated whenever this function is evaluated.  So, if
     you put it inside a command script or on the right side of a
     recursive variable assignment, it won't be evaluated until later.
     The TEXT will be expanded before the error is generated.

     For example,

          ifdef ERROR1
          $(error error is $(ERROR1))
          endif

     will generate a fatal error during the read of the makefile if the
     `make' variable `ERROR1' is defined.  Or,

          ERR = $(error found an error!)
          
          .PHONY: err
          err: ; $(ERR)

     will generate a fatal error while `make' is running, if the `err'
     target is invoked.

`$(warning TEXT...)'
     This function works similarly to the `error' function, above,
     except that `make' doesn't exit.  Instead, TEXT is expanded and
     the resulting message is displayed, but processing of the makefile
     continues.

     The result of the expansion of this function is the empty string.