Re: [PATCH] Makefile: drop duplicate %.a from link recipes

>
> "Harald Nordgren via GitGitGadget" <gitgitgadget@gmail.com> writes:
>
> >  t/helper/test-%$X: t/helper/test-%.o GIT-LDFLAGS $(GITLIBS)
> > -     $(QUIET_LINK)$(CC) $(ALL_CFLAGS) -o $@ $(ALL_LDFLAGS) $(filter %.o,$^) $(filter %.a,$^) $(LIBS)
> > +     $(QUIET_LINK)$(CC) $(ALL_CFLAGS) -o $@ $(ALL_LDFLAGS) $(filter %.o,$^) $(LIBS)
>
> I think the reason why the pattern to use only the .o files among
> the prerequisites and then use only the .a files among the same
> prerequisites (both filters $^) is used here is to make sure that the
> linker sees object files first before library archives, so that by
> the time its left-to-right scan sees the first library archive, all
> the missing symbols in the object files are known.  The above change
> depends on LIBS being a strict superset of all the library archive
> files ($GITLIBS in the current code, but that can be updated in the
> future) listed as prerequisites for the rule, but there is nothing to
> guarantee that, so it looks brittle.
>
> Exact same comment applies to the other two rules touched by this patch.