KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q76739: Updating Backup Files with NMAKE & ALL Target-Dependency

Article: Q76739
Product(s): Microsoft Programming Utilities
Version(s): 1.01,1.11,1.12,1.13,1.2,1.21,1.3,1.4
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 09-OCT-1999

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

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

SUMMARY
=======

The text below demonstrates using NMAKE and the ALL target-dependency (an NMAKE
keyword) to copy or backup files that are out-of-date with respect to the
previous copy or archive.

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

The steps below create a .MAK file that copies the AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS
files to a directory named C:\BACKUP:

1. Use a text editor to create COPY.MAK that contains the following text:

     ALL: c:\backup\autoexec.bat c:\backup\config.sys

     c:\backup\autoexec.bat: c:\autoexec.bat
        copy c:\autoexec.bat c:\backup\autoexec.bat
     c:\backup\config.sys: c:\config.sys
        copy c:\config.sys c:\backup\config.sys

  NOTE: The .MAK file above copies the AUTOEXEC.BAT files from the source
  directory (C:\) to the target directory (C:\BACKUP). The files are copied
  only if the files in the source directory have an older time/date stamp than
  the files in the target directory.

2. Create the C:\BACKUP directory if it does not already exist. To do so, type
  the following at the MS-DOS command prompt:

  " mkdir c:\backup" (without the quotation marks)

3. To backup any changes you made to your AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS files, type
  the following at the MS-DOS command prompt:

  " nmake /f copy.mak" (without the quotation marks)

NMAKE processes only one dependency per makefile. If the makefile did not include
the ALL target-dependency (an NMAKE keyword), only the first file would be
copied and the second copy command would be ignored completely. The ALL target
creates a dependency that depends on the completion of every task in the
makefile. Without this statement, two dependencies are declared, only one of
which would be processed.

Page 645 of the "Microsoft Basic 7.0: Programmer's Guide" for versions 7.0 and
7.1 presents a similar example. However, this example lacks the ALL
target-dependency and does not work correctly as presented.

Additional query words: kbinf 1.20 1.30 1.40 1.50 gp fault trap 13 lock

======================================================================
Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbVCsearch kbAudDeveloper kbNMAKESearch kbNMAKE101DOS kbNMAKE111DOS kbNMAKE112DOS kbNMAKE113DOS kbNMAKE120DOS kbNMAKE130DOS kbNMAKE140DOS kbNMAKE111OS2 kbNMAKE112OS2 kbNMAKE113OS2 kbNMAKE121OS2
Version           : :1.01,1.11,1.12,1.13,1.2,1.21,1.3,1.4

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

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.