KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q61808: FIX: Using "!" & "$?" Do Not Work as Expected w/ NMAKE 1.11

Article: Q61808
Product(s): Microsoft Programming Utilities
Version(s): MS-DOS:1.11; OS/2:1.11
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kb16bitonly
Last Modified: 31-OCT-1999

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

- Microsoft NMAKE Utility for MS-DOS, version 1.11 
- Microsoft NMAKE Utility for OS/2, version 1.11 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYMPTOMS
========

In an NMAKE description file, applying the "!" (exclamation point) operator to
the beginning of a command line using the macro "$?" should cause the command to
be executed once for every out-of-date dependent file. In version 1.11 of NMAKE
(shipped with C version 6.00), the $? macro evaluates to the list of every
dependent, regardless of whether it is out of date or not. This is not the
correct behavior.

RESOLUTION
==========

Fortunately, the problem above is easy to correct. NMAKE performs correctly if
two colons (::) are placed after the target NEW.LIB on the dependency line. The
NMAKE file may be rewritten as follows so that the $? macro will work with NMAKE
1.11:

     new.lib::a.obj b.obj c.obj
        !lib $@-+$?;

The use of the $? macro is described on page 108 of the "Microsoft C Advanced
Programming Techniques" manual included with C version 6.00. The use of the two
colons on the dependency line is described on page 109.

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in NMAKE version 1.11. This problem
was corrected in NMAKE version 1.12.

MORE INFORMATION
================

To re-create this problem, save the following lines to a file called MAKEFILE:

     new.lib: a.obj b.obj c.obj
         !lib $@-+$?;

Assuming that only A.OBJ is out of date with respect to NEW.LIB, the following
will be produced upon running NMAKE:

1. NMAKE 1.00 or 1.12:

        lib new.lib-+a.obj;

2. NMAKE 1.11:

        lib new.lib-+a.obj
        lib new.lib-+b.obj
        lib new.lib-+c.obj

Example 1 above shows the correct function of the $? macro.

Additional query words: buglist1.11 fixlist1.12

======================================================================
Keywords          : kb16bitonly 
Technology        : kbVCsearch kbAudDeveloper kbNMAKESearch kbNMAKE111DOS kbNMAKE111OS2
Version           : MS-DOS:1.11; OS/2:1.11
Solution Type     : kbfix

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

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.