Re: Adding line numbers to output for "No rule to make target"

[Jonny Grant]

On 26/11/15 00:04, address@hidden wrote:
> Jonny Grant writes:
>   >
>   >
>   > On 25/11/15 13:59, address@hidden wrote:
>   > > Jonny Grant writes:
>   > >   > Hello
>   > >   >
>   > >   > Could line numbers be added to output for the case where it says "No
>   > >   > rule to make target" please?
>   > >   >
>   > >   > Example below. GNU Make 4.1
>   > >   >
>   > >   > I'm not on this list, so please include my email address is any
>   > >   > replies Regards, Jonny
>   > >
>   > >   >
>   > >   >
>   > >   > makefile.mak
>   > >   >
>   > >   > %.o : %.d
>   > >   >
>   > >   > all: test.o
>   > >   >     echo processing
>   > >   >
>   > >   >
>   > >   > ^Sorry TAB has been lost by my email client
>   > >   >
>   > >   > $ make
>   > >   > make: *** No rule to make target 'test.o', needed by 'all'.  Stop.
>   > >   >
>   > >   >
>   > >   > Could line number (4) be added to the message?
>   > >   >
>   > >   > eg
>   > >   > $ make
>   > >   > make: *** makefile.mak:4 No rule to make target 'test.o', needed by
>   > >   > 'all'.  Stop.
>   > >
>   > >   What should be output if the following is typed?
>   > >
>   > >     make gungla
>   > >
>   >
>   > Perhaps just the regular because its not got a specific line number:
>   >
>   > $ make gungla
>   > make: *** No rule to make target 'gungla'. Stop.
>   >
>   >
>   > What do think?
>
>   My point was that it's not so simple.
>
>   If you do it that way, now you've got two different formats for the
>   same message.  This can be confusing to users, and certainly
>   complicates factors if there is software sitting on top of Make and
>   operating on the messages (continuous integration / automatic failure
>   triage).

CI uses program return codes in my experience.
EXIT_SUCCESS is 0

>   Consider the following other special cases:
>
>     o Gnu Make has $(eval), and it's possible to generate rules that
>       don't correspond to actual Makefile lines.

I thought the message only related to targets.
Do you mean if targets are generated by $(eval) ?

>     o What if there are multiple targets that refer to 'test.o'?
>       Should all be reported, or just the one that failed?

Often compilation only reports the first occurrence of the error. Make 
could behave in a similar way. A more advanced solution would report more.

>       (Is the recipe that cannot be built important, or is the use of
>       'test.o' important?)

The line number may be useful clue the investigating Make user.
Are the line numbers already available at that point in the code?

Regards, Jonny