Re: Opposite of .PHONY

[Eric Hanchrow]

>>>>> "Thomas" == Thomas Mogwitz <address@hidden> writes:

    Thomas> Now I would like make to run the command only if one of
    Thomas> the prerequisites has been remade.  But since 'install' is
    Thomas> no file, make does it always.  I don't really like the
    Thomas> idea of creating an empty file with each command that
    Thomas> builds one of the prerequisites.  Is there another way?

My understanding is that you only need a single empty file for the
"install" target, not "an empty file with each command that builds one
of the prerequisites".  For example, from (info "(make)Empty
Targets"), I see

         print: foo.c bar.c
                 lpr -p $?
                 touch print

    With this rule, `make print' will execute the `lpr' command if either
    source file has changed since the last `make print'.  The automatic
    variable `$?' is used to print only those files that have changed
    (*note Automatic Variables::).

I think that would do what you want, if you substituted "install" for
"print", and various installation commands for "lpr".

-- 
I hope to get back to work on Arc soon.
        -- Paul Graham, quoted in "ACM Crossroads", no date given