Looking for Files in Different Directories (60867)

Microsoft NMAKE Utility for MS-DOS 1.01

Microsoft NMAKE Utility for MS-DOS 1.1

Microsoft NMAKE Utility for MS-DOS 1.11

Microsoft NMAKE Utility for MS-DOS 1.12

Microsoft NMAKE Utility for MS-DOS 1.13

Microsoft NMAKE Utility for MS-DOS 1.2

Microsoft NMAKE Utility for MS-DOS 1.3

Microsoft NMAKE Utility for MS-DOS 1.4

Microsoft NMAKE Utility for OS/2 1.01

Microsoft NMAKE Utility for OS/2 1.11

Microsoft NMAKE Utility for OS/2 1.12

Microsoft NMAKE Utility for OS/2 1.13

Microsoft NMAKE Utility for OS/2 1.21

Microsoft NMAKE Utility for Windows NT 1.4

Microsoft NMAKE Utility for Windows NT 1.5

This article was previously published under Q60867

SUMMARY

If you use the "directory search" feature in NMAKE by specifying the name of the directory in curly braces ({}), subsequent dependency rules cannot infer the location of the specified files.

MORE INFORMATION

The following makefile example demonstrates this confusion.

   test.exe: {c:\obj}test.obj

      link c:\obj\test.obj graphics.lib;

   test.obj: test.c test.h

      cl /c /Foc:\obj\test.obj test.c

If TEXT.EXE were up to date with C:\OBJ\TEST.OBJ but TEST.C or TEST.H was not up to date with TEST.OBJ, NMAKE would not build any files because C:\OBJ\TEST.OBJ does not have any dependencies. The TEST.OBJ dependency line refers only to the current directory. To work around this situation, modify the code to include the following line:

   c:\obj\test.obj: test.c test.h

Then, if TEST.C or TEST.H changed, NMAKE would update C:\OBJ\TEST.OBJ and TEST.EXE.

Modification Type:

Major

Last Reviewed:

12/1/2003

Keywords:

KB60867