Re: makefile line number when errors

[Jon Grant]

On 6 May 2011 16:25, Eli Zaretskii <address@hidden> wrote:
>> Date: Thu, 5 May 2011 22:30:04 +0100
>> From: Jon Grant <address@hidden>
>>
>> c:\>make -f test.mk
>> unknown-exe
>> process_begin: CreateProcess(NULL, unknown-exe, ...) failed.
>> make (e=2): The system cannot find the file specified.
>> make: [build] Error 2 (ignored)
>>
>>
>> On GNU+Linux this looks like:
>>
>> $ make -f test.mk
>> unknown-exe
>> make: unknown-exe: Command not found
>> make: [build] Error 127 (ignored)
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Would be great if it could output:
>>
>> "make: test.mk:5 unknown-exe: Command not found"
>
> It can't do that without losing important functionality.  Unlike Unix,
> Windows has too many subtle ways of invoking programs that Make
> doesn't support (e.g., via file association).  By passing the command
> through CreateProcess, we give the OS the last chance to run the
> command if it knows how.  If it doesn't, you will see this text, which
> comes from the error code 2.
>
> Why does the exact text bother you?  Are you perhaps working with some
> script that makes unduly stringent assumptions about Make error
> messages?  It shouldn't: the exact error messages are system
> dependent.

Sorry, perhaps I was unclear. I am interested in the "test.mk:5" text.
I don't mind the specific details or error code which is output later
in the line. Just the line number is my request.

I would like to track down the line in a makefile which has an issue.
In the same way that my C compiler outputs file and line information
when it has a build error.

Best regards, Jon