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Q60746: PRB: NMAKE Invokes MASM Instead of the C Compiler

Article: Q60746
Product(s): Microsoft Programming Utilities
Version(s): MS-DOS:1.01,1.1,1.11,1.12,1.13,1.2,1.3,1.4; OS/2:1.01,1.11,1.12,1.13,1.21
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kb16bitonly
Last Modified: 30-OCT-1999

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft NMAKE Utility for MS-DOS, versions 1.01, 1.1, 1.11, 1.12, 1.13, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4 
- Microsoft NMAKE Utility for OS/2, versions 1.01, 1.11, 1.12, 1.13, 1.21 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYMPTOMS
========

When using an NMAKE file in combination with adding /Fa to the compiler options
within Programmer's WorkBench (PWB) or Visual Workbench, NMAKE will invoke the
Microsoft Macro Assembler (MASM), if it is in the current search path.

This does not occur the first time you build your application, but it does occur
the second time, and thereafter, because of the generation of the .ASM created
by the compiler.

CAUSE
=====

Files with the .ASM extension have a predefined inference rule within NMAKE to
invoke MASM. However, the inference rule for .ASM files takes place before the
rule for files with the .C or .OBJ extension. Therefore, if you have a filename
with the same base name, but one has an .ASM extension and the other has a .C
extension (as is the case with the /FA switch), the .ASM file will be assembled
before the .C file will be compiled. Since the assembly step generates an .OBJ
file that is newer than the .C file, the .C file is never compiled.

RESOLUTION
==========

Use the following procedures to work around this behavior:

1. The best workaround is to use /Fa [LSTFILE.EXT] with a filename included as a
  compiler option, instead of allowing the /Fa option to default to its
  <filename>.ASM.

  Example: /Fa <filename>.ASC

  In using this method, the .C file will be compiled, instead of the .ASM
  version being assembled.

2. Use the /Fc compiler option in place of the /Fa option (if you just want to
  look at an assembly source listing). This produces a .COD file (combined
  assembly and C source listing).

3. Use the /R switch for the NMAKE invocation to ignore inference rules and
  macros that are predefined or defined in the TOOLS.INI file.

Additional query words: 1.10 1.20 1.30 1.40

======================================================================
Keywords          : kb16bitonly 
Technology        : kbVCsearch kbAudDeveloper kbNMAKESearch kbNMAKE101DOS kbNMAKE110DOS kbNMAKE111DOS kbNMAKE112DOS kbNMAKE113DOS kbNMAKE120DOS kbNMAKE130DOS kbNMAKE140DOS kbNMAKE101OS2 kbNMAKE111OS2 kbNMAKE112OS2 kbNMAKE113OS2 kbNMAKE121OS2
Version           : MS-DOS:1.01,1.1,1.11,1.12,1.13,1.2,1.3,1.4; OS/2:1.01,1.11,1.12,1.13,1.21

=============================================================================

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