RE: why does command echo \\\foobar print \\foobar

>But you already found a way:

  SHELL=cmd.exe

  foobar:
	  echo \\foobar

>(and rename echo.exe to something else, or remove it from PATH).


No, I can't "rename echo.exe or remove it" - I have to support developers where I don't have control whether or not they are using Cygwin.  I can't tell them to remove echo :)

>The way it works with the Windows shell and Windows echo will not
change.

wait, we already established, that this has nothing to do with shell or echo - on Windows, GNU make is currently stripping one of 3 backslashes in a command like this:

Foobar:
	perl foobar.pl \\\foobar


and, I think we have established that this behavior is undocumented ( I think Paul is saying it is a bug, and you are saying you are not sure).  

Right now, my "solution" is to do 
foobar:
	perl foobar.pl \\\\foobar

in order to pass \\foobar to Perl.  Somehow I feel it is safer than 3, but heck I have no clue really.  

This looks funny, and if my boss during a review asks "why do you need 4 backslashes" I will properly have to say "I don't know for sure, but it seems to work" and I can tell you that he will not be satisfied with this answer, because it might start not working one sunny day, when a new version of GNU make is relased.