-D name command-line option on Win32

[Steve Hay <st...@uk.radan.com>]

What is the correct syntax for the "-D name" command-line option on 
Win32 (and, indeed, other platforms too)?

Specifically, should there be a space between the "-D" and the "name" or 
not?

The reason I ask is that I've been having problems with the Perl 
Apache-Test module.  On Win32 it starts up the server in single-process 
mode (-X) to make killing the process later easier, but it also used a 
"-DAPACHE1" option:

apache.exe -DAPACHE1 -X

I found that under Apache/1.3.29 the -X was being ignored and two 
processes (parent + child) got started, which then lead to one being 
left behind after the tests have finished.  Inserting a space between 
the "-D" and the "APACHE1" fixed the problem.  Apache/2.0.48 doesn't 
seem to have this problem.

The output from "apache.exe -h" in both 1.3.29 and 2.0.48 shows a space:

Usage: apache [-D name] [-d directory] [-f file] [-n service]
              [-C "directive"] [-c "directive"] [-k signal]
              [-v] [-V] [-h] [-l] [-L] [-S] [-t] [-T]
  -D name          : define a name for use in <IfDefine name> directives
  [...]

but Stas Bekman over on dev@perl.apache.org prefers not having a space, 
because "-Dname" is in line with typical C compilers' behaviour.

Hopefully the patch that I sent to dev@perl.apache.org to insert the 
spaces will be kept since it seems to be required for 1.3.29 on Win32 
(at least) and doesn't break anything else, but I just wondered whether 
requiring the space was intentional or a bug?

Cheers,
- Steve



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