Re: Using hash instead of timestamps to check for changes.

[David Boyce]

It should be noted that there are published methods for hash reliance
within the current syntax, e.g.
http://www.cmcrossroads.com/article/rebuilding-when-files-checksum-changes.

I haven’t ever tried this, in fact I haven’t even read the article in
detail, but you might want to play with it before undertaking to
enhance make.

-David

On Fri, Mar 27, 2015 at 6:42 AM, Glen Stark <address@hidden> wrote:
> Greetings.
>
> I hope that this is the correct forum for this question.  As a quick
> search on Google will verify, there's quite a bit of interest in being
> able to have Make use a hash to check if a new build is required, as
> opposed to a timestamp.
>
> I searched the mailing lists regarding this issue, and found a rather
> old patch suggestion, but have not been able to determine if a decision
> was made regarding whether to implement this feature.  Nor have I been
> able to find relevant information on the Make project website, so I'm
> asking you Make maintainers if you see this as a desirable
> functionality, or at least worthy of discussion.  I can say that it
> would benefit my colleagues and I enormously, and I'm willing to attempt
> the implementation if you agree it would be a feature worth adding.
>
> So to start with:
>
> Is this planned?  Has the idea already been rejected, and if so could
> you point me to the discussion so I can inform myself?
>
> If it is planned, or you agree it's worth doing, how can I help?  I'm
> willing to write the code if someone is willing to help me work into the
> code a little.  Until now I'm only a user, not maintainer of Make, and
> would need some tips about how to fit the functionality into the overall
> design of Make.  Someone to bounce ideas off, and direct questions to
> would be wonderful.  If someone else is working on it already, I'd like
> to help however I can -- testing, debugging, etc.
>
> Thank you for your time.
>
> Glen Stark
>
>
>
>
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