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From: Mel Flynn <mel.flynn+fbsd.questions@mailing.thruhere.net>
To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Date: Wed, 6 May 2009 11:15:07 +0200
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Cc: Anton Shterenlikht <mexas@bristol.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: make - reassign variable using if-then ?
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On Wednesday 06 May 2009 10:31:53 Anton Shterenlikht wrote:
> I've this simple makefile:
>
> VAR=one
>
> all	:	main
>
> main	:
> 	@echo ${.CURDIR}
> .if ${.CURDIR}
> 	@echo ${VAR}
> 	VAR=two
> 	@echo ${VAR}
> .endif
>
> When I output VAR second time, the value is still "one", and not the
> new value "two". Why?

Because it is expanded before being passed to the shell. Sh sees:
echo one
VAR=two
echo one

What are you really trying to accomplish?
-- 
Mel