Q60138: Explanation and Example of the NMAKE.EXE Utility

Article: Q60138
Product(s): See article
Version(s): 7.00   | 7.00
Operating System(s): MS-DOS | OS/2
Keyword(s): ENDUSER | SR# S900314-143 | mspl13_basic
Last Modified: 20-JUL-1990

Microsoft's NMAKE.EXE is a program-maintenance utility. It saves time
by automating the process of updating project files. NMAKE compares
the modification dates for one set of files, the target files, to
those of another file type, the dependent files. If any of the
dependent files have changed more recently than the target files,
NMAKE executes a specified series of commands.

This information applies to Microsoft BASIC Professional Development
System (PDS) version 7.00 for MS-DOS and MS OS/2.

The main purpose of NMAKE is to help you update applications quickly
and simply. However, it can execute any command, so it is not limited
to compiling and linking. NMAKE can also make backups, move files, and
do many other project management tasks.

NMAKE works by comparing the times and dates of two sets of files,
which are called "targets" and "dependents":

 - A target file is a file that you want to create, such as an
   executable file.

 - A dependent file is a file used to create a target, such as a BASIC
   source file.

When you run NMAKE, it reads a "description file" that you supply. The
description file consists of one or more blocks. Each block lists a
target, the target-dependents, and the command that builds the target.
If any dependent has changed more recently than the target, NMAKE
updates the target by executing the command listed in the block.

You can invoke NMAKE with the following two options:

1. Specify options, macro definitions, and the names of targets to be
   built on the DOS or OS/2 command line.

2. Specify options, macro definitions, and the names to be built in a
   command file, and give the filename on the DOS command line.

NMAKE accepts a number of command-line options, which are described in
detail in the Microsoft programmer's guide in Chapter 20.

NMAKE reads a description file (text file, saved as text only with
line breaks) to determine what to do. The description file may contain
any number of description blocks.

For example, if you have the following three source files that are
part of the same program

   MAIN.BAS
   FILE1.BAS
   FILE2.BAS

and if the files through the program-development process need to be
updated, you would use NMAKE. First, you create the description file
that will contain the description blocks, as follows:

#####################COMPILE.MAK##########################

    ALL: Sample.exe
    main.obj: main.bas      #target : dependent
       BC main.bas;         #command field: any DOS command
    file1.obj: file1.bas        #line
       BC file1.bas;
    file2.obj: file2.bas
       BC file2.bas;
    files.lib: file1.obj file2.obj
       LIB files.lib file1.obj + file2.obj

    sample.exe: main.obj files.lib
       LINK main.obj + files.lib, sample.exe;

##########################################################

Then, you invoke NMAKE. The syntax for invoking NMAKE is as follows:

   NMAKE  COMPILE.MAK

Code Example
------------

MAIN.BAS
--------

PRINT "We are in the Main Program"
CALL file1
CALL file2
PRINT "We are DONE!!"

FILE1.BAS
---------

PRINT "We are in FILE1.BAS "
SUB file1
  PRINT "We are in the sub of file1.bas"
END SUB

FILE2.BAS
---------

PRINT "We are in FILE2.BAS"

SUB file2
  PRINT "We are in the sub of file2.bas"
END SUB

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