Re: Fwd: What is the logic behind make's handling of symbolic links?

[Philip Couling]

On 22 October 2014 15:07, Paul Smith <address@hidden> wrote:
>
> You're correct that make doesn't care about the contents of files, but
> you're incorrect when you say that make is only concerned with the NAMES
> of files.  Make is primarily concerned with the _MODIFICATION TIMES_ of
> files.  Make decides when a file is newer or older by checking its
> modification time.  The name of the file is only useful to make insofar
> as it allows make to find the target's modification time.


Agreed.
Point of interest: symbolic links have a modification time separate to
their referenced file.


> A file that doesn't exist does not have a modification time, and so make
> always considers that file to be out of date and rebuilds it.
>

This is again suggesting that dangling symbolic links don't exist.  They
can be created, they do get created ergo they do exist. :-p
Point of interest: Dangling symbolic links still a modification time.

But I accept that make treats all links (dangling or otherwise) as
transparent.
I don't like it and would love to understand the reasoning behind that
decision, but it does at least explain make's logic neatly.

Thanks for that all.

That's what I was after.