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<== Date ==> <== Thread ==>

Subject: RE: Fun with MAKE
From: [email protected] (Peter Kurpis)
To: [email protected]
Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 11:45:51 -1000 (HST)
> >> > I have immensely enjoyed looking at the $(EPICS_BASE)/config/RULES.Vx MAKE instructions. 
> >> Given the increasing complexities of C++ development we were thinking of rewriting 
> >> all of EPICS for execution by the GNU make interpreter.
> >Having built and watched others build EPICS, I think this would be a *very* welcome
> >change.
> >As for the implementation, I am guessing you mean using the standard GNU configure
> >build.  Is that what you are suggesting?
> 
> I agree that the EPICS make system is complicated.
> When you think that about the Vx part, look at the rules
> for the Host portion.
> 
> On the other hand, this allows building for various Unixes
> and Win32 at different sites.
> With 3.14 you can now build what used to be for Vx only
> on the "host" and for another RT-OS.
> 
> GNU configure is at least as difficult to understand
> and all you'll get is that it will no longer work on Win32.

Oops, I was showing a little provincialism here.  :-)  I forgot
about the Win32 build.

> A "better" as in "easier to understand" make system would sure be nice,
> but I don't see a real alternative to GNU make & perl.

Working from what we've got, I suggest there could be a lot of
simplification in reducing the number of layers of abstraction 
in both macro definitions and in files.  (e.g.  Adding a simple
compiler option involves following a series of macro definitions
through a number of files, until you find the right place(s) to do
it.)  I don't see what this complexity buys.

Another thing is that using scripts to effect operations hides
what's going on.  Sometimes I am trying to diagnose why a build
aborted, and all I can see from the build output is that it 
happened somewhere inside a perl script.  It would be nice if
more build progress info were reported from scripts, or script
use were avoided in favor of standard commands when possible.
(I guess the latter suggestion is not practical in inter-
platform portability.)

Also, some comments by cogniscenti within the makefiles would 
help.

Thanks in advance for considering these suggestions.




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