File-Specification Parts
A full file specification gives the base name of the file, the file name extension, and the path. The path provides the disk drive identifier and the sequence of directories needed to locate the file on the disk.
Example:
The file specification:
C:\SOURCE\PROG\SORT.OBJ
has the following parts:
旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컫컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴쩡컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 쿛ath Name 쿎:\SOURCE\PROG 쿮verything prior to � � � 퀃he last path � � � 퀂eparator � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컵컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴탠컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴캑 쿑ile Extension �.OBJ 쿮verything after and� � � 쿶ncluding the last � � � 쿭ot (.) � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컵컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴탠컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴캑 쿍ase File Name 쿞ORT 퀇hat's left � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컨컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴좔컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴켸
NMAKE32 predefines several macros which are useful for writing rules for building targets.
旼컴컴컴컴컴컫컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� 쿘acro 쿣alue � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컵컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� �$$ 쿟he '$' character, which does not participate in� � 쿪ny further macro expansion. � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컵컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� �$* 쿟he path name and base file name of the current � � 퀃arget with the extension deleted. � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컵컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� �$< 쿥hen used in an explicit rule; the first � � 쿭ependent of the target (regardless of whether � � 퀃he dependent is out of date), if any. When used� � 쿶n an inference rule, the file specification of � � 퀃he (inferred) dependent which is out of date � � 퀇ith respect to the target. For example, in the � � �.c.obj: rule, $< would evaluate to the .c file. � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컵컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� �$@ 쿟he file specification of the current target. � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컵컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� �$? 쿟he file specification of all dependents which � � 쿪re out of date with respect to the target. � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컵컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� �$** 쿟he list of file specifications of all � � 쿭ependents (whether up-to-date or not). � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컵컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� �$$@ 쿟he file specification of the target that � � 쿙MAKE32 is currently evaluating. This is a � � 쿭ynamic dependency parameter, used only in � � 쿭ependent lists. � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컵컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� �$: 쿟he path name of the current target file � � 퀂pecification. � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컵컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� �$. 쿟he base file name and extension of the current � � 퀃arget file specification. � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컵컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� �$& 쿟he base file name of the current target file � � 퀂pecification. � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컵컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� �$() 쿟he null string � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컨컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴�
Note: The special macros $** and $$@ are the only exceptions to the rule that macro names longer than one character must be enclosed in parentheses.
Example:
Given the following description file excerpt:
c:\mydir\myprog.obj: $*.c
@echo Dollar Star is $*
@echo Dollar Star Star is $**
@echo Dollar At is $@
The special macro $* on the target dependent line will expand to c:\mydir\myprog, and the following text will be displayed when NMAKE32 is run:
Dollar Star is c:\mydir\myprog
Dollar Star Star is c:\mydir\myprog.c
Dollar At is c:\mydir\myprog.obj
Characters that Modify Built-in Macros
The following macros all resolve to a file specification (or possible several file specifications for $** and $?):
$* $@ $** $< $? $$@
There are four characters (D, F, B, or R), which may be appended to any of these macros to modify the filename returned by the macro. Parts of the full file specification are returned, depending on which character is used.
Appended Character
旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컫컴컴컴컴쩡컴컴컴컫컴컴컴컴쩡컴컴컴커 쿑ile Part Returned 쿏 쿑 쿍 쿝 � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컵컴컴컴컴탠컴컴컴컵컴컴컴컴탠컴컴컴캑 쿑ile Path 쿧es 쿙o 쿙o 쿧es � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컵컴컴컴컴탠컴컴컴컵컴컴컴컴탠컴컴컴캑 쿍ase File Name 쿙o 쿧es 쿧es 쿧es � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컵컴컴컴컴탠컴컴컴컵컴컴컴컴탠컴컴컴캑 쿑ile Name Extension 쿙o 쿧es 쿙o 쿙o � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컨컴컴컴컴좔컴컴컴컨컴컴컴컴좔컴컴컴켸
Example:
If the macro $@ has the value
C:\SOURCE\PROG\SORT.OBJ
then the following values are returned for the modified macro:
Macro
Note: Modified macros are always longer than a single character so they must be enclosed by parentheses when used.