Makefile generator FAQ

[pozorvlak]

Man, maintaining our Makefiles by hand really sucks. I think I'm going to write a Makefile generator. Do you think that's a good idea?

Certainly not! Go and wash your computer out with soap.

But then my computer will be ruined, and I won't be able to code!

Yes. That's the idea.

Comments

[andrewducker]

The thought of having to write build files by hand fills me with despair.

Thankfully Visual Studio does that kind of thing for you (for local build) and we have engineers to do that kind of thing (for automated builds).

[pozorvlak.livejournal.com]

Make is... not a pleasant language. However, writing an ad-hoc Makefile generator, probably based on textual macroexpansion, is one of those ideas that seems great at the time but IME turns out to be a very good way to add more complexity and debugging headaches to your life.

On the other hand, you'll note that Visual Studio's build system (a) doesn't have to be written or maintained by you, (b) doesn't work by generating Makefiles :-)

[ciphergoth.livejournal.com]

I would frankly sooner write my own Make replacement than a Makefile generator. But of course I'd sooner still use someone else's.

[pozorvlak.livejournal.com]

Writing a Make replacement is IMHO significantly less insane than writing a Makefile generator, because if you succeed then you've created something valuable. But if you successfully create another Makefile generator then you've just created another source of headaches.

[andrewducker]

This is true.

I guess the closest thing would be NANT, which is also a pain to use - and there are editors for it, but I've never used one.

[(Anonymous)]

Surely the whole point of make is that the correct tool for generating makefiles is also make?

[pozorvlak.livejournal.com]

I have worked with systems that do this. Debugging them is fun. Not.

[bob]

its a cunning plan to stop the singularity from happening.

[pozorvlak.livejournal.com]

Ladies and gentlemen, I think we may have a winner.

[saxoncinyb.livejournal.com]

excellent articles, useful for me. keep writing and happy blogging.