RFE: make check NETWORKS=net1,net2

[Dan Bonachea]

We currently document the following syntax in INSTALL.md:

make check NETWORKS='smp ibv'

This works as documented.

However it's more natural to type a command like the following, which does not require quoting:

make check NETWORKS=smp,ibv

Unfortunately the Makefile currently explodes in a confusing way when given this command. I think the user intent here is clear, but we do not handle it gracefully.

This RFE is to request the ability to use non-space delimiters in NETWORKS, at least comma, and possibly also colon and semicolon as the other punctuation one might type and naturally expect to work.

A side benefit of this change is that removing the required space delimiter makes it marginally easier to script invocations of this command in contexts where quoting might be "messy".

[Paul Hargrove]

I do not have the power/authority to teach GNU Make to honor comma as a delimiter.
So, resolution of this request will require a "level of indirection" between the main current uses and a user-provided setting with delimiters other than space. However, I believe that level of indirection is (a) the only change required and (b) that it may be possible to implement as a re-write in Makefile.rules, leaving Makefile.tests unchanged.

[Paul Hargrove]

Proposed implementation in pull request 320

[Paul Hargrove]

Support more delimiters in NETWORKS

This commit resolves issue 454 by allowing use of various punctuation characters as alternatives to space as delimiter in the NETWORKS variable effecting make check and other testing-related make targets.

Additionally, the documentation in INSTALL.md is updated to use a comma-delimited example.

→ <<cset bf2c7e2dbab1>>