Re: "Advanced Auto-Dependency Generation" question

[Angel Tsankov]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Anna Olsson" <address@hidden>
To: <address@hidden>
Sent: Tuesday, August 16, 2005 11:28 AM
Subject: "Advanced Auto-Dependency Generation" question


> I've read the "Advanced Auto-Dependency Generation" article - but I'm
> wondering about this:

> The solution to the second problem (make reports an error when the
> dependecy file does not exist) is to make make not care about whether 
> or
> not dependency files exist. But what if a dependency file is 
> accidentaly
> deleted? Make doesn't care, but the corresponding target will never 
> be
> rebuilt until the corresponding .c file is altered or the .o file is
> removed.

You could fix this by adding a Rule without Commands or Prerequisites 
for any of the dependency files. You also need to add each dependency 
file on the list of prerequisites of the respective .o file. This will 
trigger rebuild of the object and dependency file if the depenency 
file is missing. One can think of this as the penalty for deleting 
dependency files :)

Btw, I had to add an empy @echo command in the list of commands of 
each dependency file. Otherwise, make 3.80 would not "image" the 
missing dependency file is up-to-date as explained in the article you 
mention (and in the GNU make manual, as well).

> I would consider that to be a serious error! Did I miss something?

No, you didn't!

HTH
Angel Tsankov
address@hidden