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Q79824: FIX: Last Letter of NMAKE Command-Line Macro Incremented

Article: Q79824
Product(s): Microsoft Programming Utilities
Version(s): MS-DOS:1.13,1.2; OS/2:1.13,1.21
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 1.13, 1.2 
- Microsoft NMAKE Utility for OS/2, versions 1.13, 1.21 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYMPTOMS
========

When the NMAKE command line defines a macro, NMAKE may increment the last letter
of the macro string by one letter. Every other letter, beginning with the letter
"b", is incremented in this manner. For example, the make file example below
expands the macro DIR to be "XXY" instead of "XXX".

RESOLUTION
==========

Use one of the following three methods to work around this problem:

1. Use the /F command-line option to specify the name of the makefile. For
  example:

  nmake /F test.mak DIR=XXX

  -or-

  nmake DIR=XXX /F test.mak

2. Place any command-line option after the macro definition. For example:

  nmake DIR=XXX /A test.mak

3. Define the macro in the specified makefile instead of on the command line.

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

This problem occurs only when the command line specifies a makefile name other
than the default name "MAKEFILE" and the command line does not include the /F
option. Use the /F option to specify the name of the makefile any time it is not
"MAKEFILE." For more information, please refer to page 292 of the "Microsoft
Macro Assembler Programmer's Guide" for Microsoft Macro Assembler (MASM) version
6.0.

Sample Code
-----------

  # Command line required to demonstrate problem: nmake DIR=XXX test.mak

  ALL:
       ECHO $(DIR)

Additional query words: 1.20 character change

======================================================================
Keywords          : kb16bitonly 
Technology        : kbVCsearch kbAudDeveloper kbNMAKESearch kbNMAKE113DOS kbNMAKE120DOS kbNMAKE113OS2 kbNMAKE121OS2
Version           : MS-DOS:1.13,1.2; OS/2:1.13,1.21
Solution Type     : kbfix

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