Need ways to make Makefiles more foolproof

[Bo Johansson]

Hej!

I am trying to find ways to make Makefiles more foolproof and need ideas, 
advices, and reference to already established methods. (For background see 
http://www.perlmonks.org/?node_id=954865.)

I want to find portable ways in a Makefile to:

1] Find which make program is used
2] Give a warning message
3] Give an error message and stop the make program
4] (If there is a solution to 1] ) Find methods to create more portable 
Makefiles

Portable means here that the Makefile can be used by many make programs.
If possible a message should be given if the Makefile is incompatible with the 
used make program.

Find which make program is used
-------------------------------

I have so far found a way to distinguish between (gnu)make and dmake:

ifeq "{xxx}" "xxx"
MAKE_USED = dmake
else
MAKE_USED = make
endif

(In dmake "{xxx}" and "xxx" is equal.)

Where can I find examples of such methods?
Are there methods to identify more make programs?


Give a warning message
----------------------

In gnumake

$(warning ERROR: Using $(MAKE_USED) for a Makefile intended for $(MAKE))

can be used. Have not found any good way in dmake.

Are there any portable way to give warning message?


Give an error message and stop the make program
-----------------------------------------------
In gnumake

$(error ERROR: Using $(MAKE_USED) for a Makefile intended for $(MAKE))

can be used. Have not found any good way in dmake.

Are there any portable way to give a message and stop the make program?


Find methods to create more portable Makefiles
----------------------------------------------

This illustrates one idea.

This is included in the beginning of the Makefile:

PS_AT_ARGV_PS = address@hidden

ifeq "MAKE_USED" "dmake"
PS_AT_ARGV_PS = address@hidden
endif

address@hidden can then in the rest of the Makefile be replaced by 
$(PS_AT_ARGV_PS)

One example is in:

$(NOECHO) $(ABSPERLRUN) -MExtUtils::Install -e "pm_to_blib($(PS_AT_ARGV_PS), 
'$(INST_LIB)\auto', q[$(PM_FILTER)], '$(PERM_DIR)')" -- \ ...

Hopefully this will make the Makefile more portable.

Any hit to make more foolproof Makefiles is appreciated!


Best regards

Bo Johansson