A pseudotarget is a target in a description block that is not a file. It is a name that serves as a handle for building a group of files or executing a command block. There are two types of pseudotargets recognized by NMAKE32, predefined and user defined.
Predefined pseudotargets start with a period (.) and are used to control NMAKE32 processing characteristics. NMAKE32 provided pseudotargets and function follow:
旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴쩡컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� �.IGNORE: [targets] 쿟ells NMAKE32 to ignore return codes from � � 쿶nvoked commands. Same function as /i option � � 쿽n the command line. If specified with � � 퀃argets, only return codes of those targets � � 쿪re ignored. � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴탠컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� �.MAKEINIT: [command] 쿟he commands of this target are executed just� � 쿫efore the first real target is examined � � �(after the command line and the description � � 쿯ile have been processed). � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴탠컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� �.INIT: [command] 쿟he commands of this target are executed just� � 쿫efore the first real target is built (just � � 쿫efore the first user command is invoked). � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴탠컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� �.MAKEDEINIT: [command] 쿟he commands of this target are executed just� � 쿫efore NMAKE32 terminates. � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴탠컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� �.DEINIT: [command] 쿟he commands of this target are executed just� � 쿫efore the commands of the .MAKEDEINIT: � � 퀃arget are executed, but only if the commands� � 쿽f the .INIT: target and at least one user � � 쿬ommand have been executed. � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴탠컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� �.RECHECK: 쿔nstructs NMAKE32 to recheck the date, time � � 쿪nd path of each target (the check occurs � � 쿪fter all commands for that target have been � � 쿮xecuted). � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴탠컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� �.NORECHECK: 쿔nstructs NMAKE32 to not recheck the date, � � 퀃ime and path of each target. This is the � � 쿭efault behavior. � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴탠컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� �.PRECIOUS: [targets] 쿔nstructs NMAKE32 not to delete the targets � � 쿶f the command completes with a nonzero � � 퀁eturn code. If specified with targets, � � 쿽nly those targets are saved for nonzero � � 퀁eturn codes. � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴탠컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� �.SILENT: 쿔nstructs NMAKE32 not to echo commands. Same � � 쿯unction as /s option on the command line. � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴탠컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� �.SUFFIXES: [exts] 쿢sed to change the defined extensions that � � 쿙MAKE32 recognizes for inference rule � � 쿾rocessing. If specified without extensions, � � 퀁esets the defined extensions to null. If � � 쿯ollowed by extensions, these are added to � � 퀃he defined recognized extensions. � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴좔컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴�
Example:
# Example of .SUFFIXES and .PRECIOUS
.sav.exe:
-copy keep.sav keepthis.exe
.SUFFIXES: # This set .SUFFIXES to null
.SUFFIXES: .sav .exe # These two extensions can be used
# in inference rules
.PRECIOUS: keepthis.exe # This protects keepthis.exe from
# being deleted
keepthis.exe :keep.sav
# Inference rule will be used here
User defined pseudotargets are used when you wish to invoke a block of commands without having them associated to a target. This would allow you to invoke the block of commands either from the command line by specifying the pseudotarget name, or from the description file via a dependency. (The commands for a pseudotarget without dependencies are always executed.)
Example:
ALWAYS: @echo These commands will always execute if you @echo specify the pseudotarget ALWAYS on the NMAKE32 @echo invocation, or you run a description file where @echo ALWAYS appears as a dependent, or the only target @echo in the description file. There is no actual @echo file named ALWAYS.