Re: SUFFIXES bug

[Paul D. Smith]

%% Patrick Craig <address@hidden> writes:

  pc> I can understand using the directory caching feature to improve
  pc> performance, but it seems that this feature does cause users some
  pc> problems. Couldn't you modify make so that when such an error
  pc> occurs, instead of failing immediately, it rereads the directory
  pc> and tries again?

We could... but that largely negates the purpose of the cache, at least
as make uses it.

I've been considering what to do about this.  One option would be to
have a compile-time flag to disable the directory cache.  Another would
be to make it a runtime flag (maybe a special makefile switch) so that
makefiles that didn't need it could avoid it.


However, the _right_ answer is to just construct your makefiles so that
you don't have to worry about it.  If you tell make the files that your
rules will create then you don't need to disable the directory cache.

There are certain cases where this isn't possible, but as far as I've
seen they're pretty obscure.

-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Paul D. Smith <address@hidden>          Find some GNU make tips at:
 http://www.gnu.org                      http://www.paulandlesley.org/gmake/
 "Please remain calm...I may be mad, but I am a professional." --Mad Scientist